Meat substitutes gaining popularity

By Alan-Michael Steele

BELLEVILLE – New meat alternatives are becoming more popular in Canada.

Vegetarians now make up almost ten percent of all Canadians, and vegans make an extra one percent, however they aren’t the only ones cutting meat from their diets. The 2019 Canada Food Price Report by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph found that thirty two percent of all Canadians were planning on reducing their meat consumption.

A double pie chart representing the Food Price Report findings. The green wedge represents the combined percentages of those planning to reduce their meat consumption.

Meat substitutes such as the Beyond Meat burger, a plant derived product designed to mimic the taste and texture of a beef patty for burgers are gaining popularity. These patties are available in many local restaurants, from major chains like A&W and Tim Hortons to local small businesses like Belleville’s Burger Revolution. Both this and other similar plant-based burgers are also available at local grocery stores to be served at home. Since introduction the meat substitutes have been popular. A&W ran out of the burgers when they first introduced it last year due to high demand.

The substitute burgers cook similarly to real beef, according to Ryan McQuoid, a manager at Burger Revolution, a local restaurant.

“It doesn’t sell as much as our regular burgers, but as a vegetarian option, Beyond Meat does sell very well.” he said.

Alternatives are far from replacing genuine meat products, an industry accounting for $2.5 billion in sales in 2016, but they are gaining traction with Canadian consumers.