Lidl Netherlands has announced improvements to its range of meat alternatives, promising enhanced taste, texture and nutritional values.

The retailer’s range of meat substitutes has been upgraded, aiming to create healthier and more sustainable offerings for consumers. The supermarket chain hopes this will encourage more shoppers to choose plant-based meat more often.

Nutritional improvements include reduced salt content – more than 30% of the salt has been reduced in the retailer’s own-label vegan meatballs and minced meat.

As a result of reformulation, more than two-thirds of Lidl Netherlands’ own meat alternatives now meet the Wheel of Five nutritional standards, developed by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre to highlight the types of foods that consumers should prioritise eating regularly in order to maintain a healthy diet.  

Additionally, the number of fully plant-based products in the range has increased from 15 to 24. For example, the vegetarian burger and mushroom burger now offer a revamped, fully vegan recipe.

Gijs Regtuit, buyer at Lidl Netherlands, said: “Before we started this process, we already had a clear goal in mind: we wanted to offer the best range of meat substitutes in the Netherlands. In total, we spent more than a year developing the most optimal recipe for each meat substitute.”

“A major challenge in this was finding the right structure, taste and bite. Various suppliers were involved in the process, who developed various recipes especially for Lidl that did not yet exist on the market. This allowed us to create a unique range, both in terms of taste and nutritional values.”

Martine van Haperen, nutrition and health expert at industry awareness organisation ProVeg International, commented on Lidl’s initiative: “Fortunately, we already know from research that meat substitutes have a healthier composition on average than comparable meat products. For example, most plant-based sausages contain less saturated fat and more dietary fibre than pork sausage.”

“But meat substitutes are often just as salty as animal meat. That is why it is a very positive development that Lidl has reduced the salt content in its meat substitutes and has introduced more healthy meat substitutes.”