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Meatless 'Beyond Burgers' come to Carl's Jr. restaurants
The competition in lab-made veggie burgers is heating up. Beyond Meat has brought its burgers to more than 1,000 Carl's Jr. locations in the US, marking its Beyond's largest restaurant deal to date. Order a $6.29 Beyond Famous Star and you can eat a vegetarian (sorry vegans, there's American cheese) burg that tastes much like its conventional beef counterparts. You can also pay $2 to add a Beyond patty to other burgers on the menu. [...] You can already eat Impossible burgers of various sizes at White Castle, Hopdoddy, [and] Umami Burger
The veggie burgers won't be available at Hardee's (a nearly identical fast food chain operated by the same parent company). Sorry, "flexitarians".
Big Beef Prepares For Battle, As Interest Grows In Plant-Based And Lab-Grown Meats
The U.S. meat industry is gigantic, with roughly $200 billion a year in sales, and getting larger. But the industry faces emerging threats on two fronts: plant-based meat substitutes and actual meat grown in labs. Plant-based meat substitutes are a lot more, well, meaty than they used to be. They sear on the grill and even "bleed." They look, taste and feel in the mouth a lot like meat. Savannah Blevin, a server at Charlie Hooper's, an old-school bar and grill in Kansas City, Mo., says the vegetarian Impossible Burgers on the menu are popular with the meat-eating crowd. "I had a vegetarian actually turn it away, because it reminded them so much of meat, they sent it back," says Blevins. "It's delicious," she adds.
The industry that makes these products is taking off, growing 20 percent a year. "Business is booming," says Todd Boyman, co-founder of food company Hungry Planet. "We just can't keep up. We're actually having to expand our production facilities to keep up with the demand that's out there for this type of food."
[...] The meat industry is focused on shaping the regulatory environment for its new competitors, taking into account lessons learned from the rise of plant-based milks.
Previously: Would You Try Silicon Valley's Bloody Plant Burger(s)?
Impossible Foods Just Raised $75 Million for Its Plant-based Burgers
Inside the Strange Science of the Fake Meat that 'Bleeds'
FDA Approves Impossible Burger "Heme" Ingredient; Still Wants to Regulate "Cultured Meat"
Related: U.S. Cattlemen's Association Wants an Official Definition of "Meat"
Missouri Regulates Use of the Word "Meat" by Food Producers
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @01:54PM (8 children)
The nutritional profile looks nothing like meat, eg it has carbs but no cholesterol:
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/beyond-meat-beyond-burger-674983745 [myfitnesspal.com]
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/780241962 [myfitnesspal.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @02:06PM (7 children)
I wouldn't say "nothing" like meat. It has about the same amount of fat and protein, and the amount of carbs is modest (a lot less than what is added by a bun).
I notice that the 4 oz. beyond burger has 30% DV of iron, vs. about 10-11% DV for 4 oz. of 70/30 or 95% lean ground beef (according to Google). The company must be going "HAM" with that blood-like "heme" substance. And while that stuff is supposed to make the burger juicy, the images I saw of the Carl's Jr. burger looked pretty dry.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @03:44PM
Oops, I mixed up Beyond Meat [wikipedia.org] with Impossible Foods [wikipedia.org]. No heme in the former AFAIK.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @04:19PM (5 children)
There should be no carbs in meat, its like the whole point of eating it.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @04:40PM (4 children)
Then don't buy it. But 5g/4oz is not a lot of carbs and unless you are choosing not to eat the bun the burger comes on, it does not make a big difference.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @05:13PM (3 children)
Yes, it is wise to skip the bun.
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Saturday January 05 2019, @01:14AM (2 children)
So eat meat that really isn't meat.
Then skip the bun to avoid a bunch of carbs.
Forget about the cheese to avoid pissing off the vegans.
DAMN!!! I'd rather eat my sneaker.
BUT!!! my sneaker is leather and thats going to piss off more people because now we slaughter all these cattle just for shoes and comfortable chairs while letting the meat rot away.
GIVE ME BACK MY DAMN CHEESEBURGER WITH REAL MEAT!!!.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 05 2019, @04:34AM
I was saying just eat real meat since they added bad stuff (carbs) and removed good stuff (cholesterol) from the fake meat.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 05 2019, @07:20AM
Wow! You just make up a lot of non-existent problems, don't you.
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Friday January 04 2019, @02:10PM (8 children)
So how do production costs compare? You know the only thing big companies care about is profits. If verggie burgers are cheaper to produce and they can convince people to eat these instead, how much more profit is that?
Served with a delicious Brawndo beverage. It has electrolytes!
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @02:18PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2qpuB_stEU [youtube.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Friday January 04 2019, @04:11PM (5 children)
For those who prefer real meat I would point out that Soylent Green is made from all natural ingredients!
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by insanumingenium on Friday January 04 2019, @04:54PM
How are we gonna Make Room for all these soy and lentil steaks?
(Score: 3, Informative) by fyngyrz on Friday January 04 2019, @05:32PM (3 children)
Only in that Hollywood-damaged movie adaptation. In the original source, the book "Make Room, Make Room" by Harry Harrison, Soylent Green was made out of algae, and the idea that they were feeding X people to Y people was not even on the table.
And I have to tell you, the book was way, way better than the movie.
But that's Hollywood for you. The penultimate cinema moment that cops to this is in the film "The Majestic", where the writer is sitting at a meeting, and some (unfortunately not a caricature of a) film executive is saying something like "Let's add a dog! Everyone likes dogs!"
--
Hollywood: Where good books go to be abused.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday January 04 2019, @06:47PM (2 children)
The movie version of soylent green's ingredients is much more likely, IMO, to become reality.
Disclaimer: saw movie several times, have not read the book.
Simple economics. It creates a market demand for the, er . . . um . . . "harvesting" of the poor in order to feed the rich who can pay.
If you think that sounds too callous, just look at
* the currently increasing wealth divide
* human organ transplants and the temptation to prioritize the wealthy
* overpopulation
* how big corporations and their directors behave
* how rich people behave, especially towards people slightly less rich
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday January 04 2019, @08:22PM (1 child)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falun_Gong#Organ_harvesting [wikipedia.org]
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday January 04 2019, @09:45PM
Capitalism will catch up. It always does. The problem is with humans, not the economic organization.
Oh, didn't you read about 2/3 of the way through your mobile phone contract on page 229 it says that AT&T or its authorized agents can sneak in the middle of the night and harvest your and your family's organs -- unless your ISP has already gotten them first.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 3, Funny) by tangomargarine on Friday January 04 2019, @04:35PM
Carl's Jr: Fuck You, I'm Eating
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Friday January 04 2019, @02:38PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @02:38PM (14 children)
I long for the days when we only had simple words for people like this; "twat" for example.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @02:52PM
"Marketers".
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Friday January 04 2019, @02:59PM (1 child)
As far as I can tell, flexitarian just means does not adhere to fads.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Friday January 04 2019, @04:42PM
Fads? I've already moved on to Beyond Tide Pods!
Moist AND filling!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @04:33PM (3 children)
like "cis", now we have a word for "normal person"
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:48PM (2 children)
The term 'flexitarians' is a joke. But there's a valid reason for 'cis'. Calling someone that identifies with their birth sex 'normal' automatically implies that a trans or non-binary person is 'abnormal'. So it's implicitly an insult to them. Using 'cis' instead removes the normal vs. abnormal connection.
There's no similar justification for 'flexitarian'. A person that eats meat sometimes and veggie burgers other times is still simply an omnivore.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Saturday January 05 2019, @05:17PM (1 child)
Sorry, but while flexitarian is often used as joke, it actually identifies a very common and arguably important philosophy about eating.
There are all sorts of reasons to cut down on meat consumption -- environmental reasons, moral reasons, health concerns, cost concerns, etc. You may or may not agree with such reasons, but lots of people have them. I know a lot of people who deliberately consume mostly vegetarian diets but occasionally eat meat rarely or in specific circumstances (e.g., if it's humanely raised or on special occasions or only with unusual/special dishes or whatever). Arguably there are good health reasons for trying to consume a mostly plant-based diet without demonizing meat.
(For long stretches of my life I only tended to eat meat a couple times per week -- or as a garnish or added flavor element rather than a main dish. This started out because of budget concerns but then I realized I actually like vegetarian food. Then I read nutritional and health arguments that seemed to also be valid reasons to keep doing it once my budget was no longer a concern. I don't personally use the word "flexitarian" because it sounds stupid... But I guess I probably have been one at times.)
We don't have a word for someone whose diet is mostly plant-based but occasionally supplemented with meat. "Omnivore" doesn't connote this. Flexitarian sounds a bit silly, but given the number of people with such diets we should have a word for it.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Monday January 07 2019, @06:14PM
Well, I understand and support cutting back meat consumption for environmental, health, or ethical reasons. I'm just a little uncomfortable with terms that mean 'mostly vegetarian' because it is difficult to quantify. I can call myself a vegetarian and I might be lying. But if I'm not lying, you know exactly how much meat I consume. If I call myself a flexitarian maybe I switched from eating meat 14 times a week to eating meat 10 times a week - but maybe the woman in the next apartment has a taste for spaghetti or bean salads or something, and she doesn't even identify as a flexitarian but she eats meat 5 times a week.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by FatPhil on Saturday January 05 2019, @01:58AM (6 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday January 05 2019, @03:24AM (4 children)
There's nothing wrong with eating both meat and meat substitutes.
Even if you aren't eating fried tofu patties, you might eat tofu in a Thai salad [itdoesnttastelikechicken.com], for instance. Foods such as black bean burgers are good in their own right (IMO), even if they don't taste like meat. Does some madman out there enjoy a Beyond Meat or an Impossible Foods plant-based burger more than a real hamburger? Possibly. And if they do, they could still eat chicken, pork, fish, etc.
It would be easier to sympathize with "flexitarians" if the food was cost competitive when compared to meat, e.g. in terms of dollars per kilogram, calories per dollar, and grams of protein per dollar. That doesn't seem to be the case with this $6.29 burger. But if production of these meat substitutes is scaled up, maybe the prices will drop and there won't need to be any more talk about the cachet.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Redundant) by FatPhil on Saturday January 05 2019, @10:22AM (3 children)
The mother of all counter-arguments, as it's undeniably true. I'd just trying to work out what it's a counterargument to. Which of my statements do you think you are countering?
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by takyon on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:16PM (2 children)
It's a counterargument to your entire stupid comment.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Troll) by FatPhil on Sunday January 06 2019, @12:33PM (1 child)
Spell your argument out in painfully pedantic detail, using only logically sound steps, or be considered forever a troll.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by takyon on Sunday January 06 2019, @12:45PM
∞. you have the big gay
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:43PM
The term 'flexitarians' is absurd. But as I wrote elsewhere, I think the real value of these meat substitutes is as a transition food. I have friends and relatives that have been vegan for decades, and none of them care for vegan or vegetarian foods that mimic real meats. But for someone accustomed to eating a lot of real meat, this is a ways to make the switch into a vegetarian or vegan diet less of a shock. I have my lentils, nuts, potatoes and onions, etc... etc.. but when I miss the taste of real meat I grab a product like this - provided it doesn't suck. I had my first Beyond Meat burger in November and was impressed.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Arik on Friday January 04 2019, @03:23PM (2 children)
But the gem of the Hardees menu were always the steak biscuits. And for whatever reason, Carl's brought over 'Hardees biscuits' but not those. Pretty stupid of them, and pretty lame.
And now? A veggie burger, but only at Carl's, not at Hardees. Another facepalm. Yes, I'm sure the demand is higher for this in the west than the east, but that's not the point. There IS a market in the east, and even if it's a smaller portion of the regional market it's also underserved. Put it on the menu back east too, and you'll attract customers that otherwise wouldn't come in the door, and on top of that the regulars will slowly start giving it a try and some will like it.
Assuming it isn't completely awful, at least, and if it is it won't do too well in the west either.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @03:42PM (1 child)
Carl's was founded in California and has a lot of restaurants there. Beyond Meat was also founded in California.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday January 04 2019, @03:47PM
Carl's still covers a lot of western area where steak biscuits would sell very well, if they offered them.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Snow on Friday January 04 2019, @03:43PM (7 children)
It's called Beyond meat too. Maybe from the same producer?
I've heard from a couple people that have tried them. They all say they are really good.
Still kinda freaks me out though.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @03:50PM (4 children)
What's going to freak you out more, a hyperrealistic plant-based burger (and Impossible Foods is probably closer to that than Beyond Meat) or cultured meat made from animal cell lines?
Both have their place (and there are good plant-based burgers/patties that don't attempt to mimic meat closely), but cultured meat ought to eventually replace nearly all use of livestock, if it can be made cheaply enough.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @04:24PM (3 children)
It should never replace real meat because they arent going to be able to help themselves and try to "improve it" by eg removing the cholesterol.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @04:37PM (2 children)
It's in all animal cells, and cultured meat is animal cells. Good luck to them.
If there is no monopoly, you should be able to buy almost any kind of cultured meat that you want.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @05:17PM (1 child)
Here it is, they claim the cultured meat is healthier because it is low in cholesterol:
http://www.innocent-meat.com/ [innocent-meat.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 04 2019, @05:30PM
They are asking for cash for their startup, and don't provide any details about their process.
For all we know, they could just be using a type of animal that is naturally low in cholesterol. Or they could not be including fat cells (a known problem for the very first cultured meat), or very few of them.
Finally, low cholesterol does not mean zero cholesterol.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday January 04 2019, @04:58PM (1 child)
I looove A&W and went to try the beyond meat, but they ran out quickly.
Will have to try again.
I love A&W because when I order a teen burger without a bun, they wrap it in lettuce (my burger becomes almost a salad!) and put it on a real plate with metal utensils and the fries go in a metal basket and I have my rootbeer in a frosted glass-- ALL reusable. When I leave, there is very little garbage. Put that against a McDonald's crap meal where everything is garbage (even the food).
Go online and get coupons
Awcoupon.ca
Love them!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @06:35PM
Little pushy today are we?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @03:53PM (5 children)
So, for those of us who remain true to our evolutionary roots and east as omnivores, do vegetarians count as prey animals like cattle? And if so, would eating them be cannibalism, or just distasteful?
/ducks
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday January 04 2019, @04:12PM (1 child)
Soylent Green is made from all natural ingredients.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday January 04 2019, @05:00PM
Whereas SoylentNews is people!
Mmmmmmm......
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday January 04 2019, @04:30PM
I prefer to west as an omnivore
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @10:10PM
Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw recently: "Save an animal, eat a vegetarian."
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Saturday January 05 2019, @01:03AM
Sadly, sometimes youtube clips are horrible... (I was hoping to get the last two as a single clip.)
All your vegan eating answers here...
Lion that eats Tofu. [youtube.com]
Lrrr eaes a hippie [youtube.com]
That hippie is starting to kick in... [youtube.com]
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday January 04 2019, @05:50PM (1 child)
This is stupid, for 2 reasons:
1. It still won't get me into a Carl's Jr voluntarily. I have standards when it comes to food.
2. If they want to offer a veggie burger, there are lots of tastier (and cheaper-to-make) options that aren't trying to pretend to be meat. As in, I'd much rather have a black bean burger that's being honest about not being meat than I would any of the meat-imitation products out there, and even some of the meat-eaters I know will sometimes pick one of those over a beef burger. If you really want the flavor of beef, by far the most efficient way to get that flavor is to eat beef.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:36AM
I think there's room in the market for transition foods. The vegans and vegetarians I know that have been vegan or vegetarian for a few years or longer typically don't care, they'll go right for the black bean burger, falafel, stir fry of a bunch of different root vegetables, lentils, etc... They have no interest in something that tastes like roasted animal flesh.
But for people like me that are accustomed to having real meat at two meals a day, sevent days a week, then meat-like substitutes make the switch to vegetarianism easier. I've had some tasty black bean burgers. But the Beyond Meat burger tastes genuinely good to someone who likes beef - maybe not as good as the best beef burgers I've had, but flat out better than the beef burgers from any fast food restaurant and most chain restaurants and diners. Right now my freezer has a mix of black bean burgers, quinoa and roast vegetable burgers, and Beyond Meat burgers so I can get a meat-like taste when the mood strikes. Unfortunately at the moment the Beyond Meat burgers are far more expensive than their meat cousins at $12 per pound. I'm lucky enough to be able to fit that into my budget, but I understand that many other people can't. But hopefully as the product gets more popular it will get cheaper.
Most of the other attempts at meat-like vegetarian and vegan products I've seen from Morningstar, Boca, Gardenburger, and a few other brands are horrid. Their veggie burgers that don't pretend to mimic meat range from adequate to great, but their attempts at meat substitutes are horrid. Beyond Meat passes muster. (Sorry if I sound like a shill. But I discovered the things in late November and have been eating at least two a week since.)
(Score: 2) by digitalaudiorock on Friday January 04 2019, @07:57PM
I'm pretty sure that Arby's cracked the whole "meatless" thing many many years ago...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @10:19PM (1 child)
If the khazar jews were left to it they would rename everything the opposite of what it really is. Left is right, up is down, less is more, war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.
Thankfully it is not up to them and will never be. They will be the burger patty long before that happens.
But those satanic khazar jews are sure going to try.
(Score: 3, Touché) by FatPhil on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:07AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Friday January 04 2019, @10:29PM (1 child)
A&W started carrying them. I tried one out of curiosity. You can definitely tell it's not real meat, but it's pretty close and actually tastes good.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Saturday January 05 2019, @02:43AM
I wanted to try vegan foods so I tried one at the closest vegan restaurant. I thought it wasn't as good as a top quality beef burger, but it was better than almost any fast food burger, diner burger, or Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays, etc... burger I had ever eaten. I went out and bought some at the grocery store.
My experience before was that veggie burgers that don't try to be meat-substitutes are often good. But all the other meat substitute veggie burgers I've ever had were awful.