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Applegate introduces blended burgers

Applegate will introduce Well Carved, its new hybrid meat and veggie line, to grocery stores in April 2020. The new product portfolio will feature beef and turkey burgers as well as Asian style pork meatballs and Mediterranean style turkey meatballs.

Hormel Foods, which owns the organic meat brand Applegate, is the latest meat-centric manufacturer to launch a product into the blended space. The brand’s grass-fed beef burger contains cauliflower, spinach, lentils and butternut squash along with beef; the turkey burger blends sweet potato, great northern bean, kale and roasted onion with turkey; the pork meatballs combine brown rice, green onion, carrot, parsley and pork; and the turkey meatballs feature lentils, feta cheese and spinach with ground turkey. Each burger is four ounces.

“Well Carved offers an easy way for consumers to enjoy the real, clean meat they crave while also reducing overall consumption,” said John Ghingo, president of Applegate in a release.

Although Hormel Foods was scheduled to debut this new line at Products Expo West, COVID-19 delayed the public launch. Now the company is directly releasing its new frozen line directly to consumers.

Consumer interest in plant-based products has been growing. While meat is in no danger of going completely out of fashion, 60% of those ages 25 to 70 saying they're cutting back on animal consumption for cost or health reasons, according to HealthFocus International figures from 2018. Similarly, the United Nations said agriculture and food production generated 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions and called for a reduction in global meat consumption.

To cater to this demographic of conscientious carnivores, Applegate is doubling down on a blended strategy.

Last year, the organic meat brand launched its first foray into the blended meat category with The Great Organic Blend Burger. This latest product line takes things a step further and introduces meatballs and varies the vegetables used in the blends. Great Organic Blend Burgers are supplemented only with mushrooms.

Applegate’s latest blend is made with a majority meat and echoes similar products from competitors. Tyson put its Raised & Rooted blended burgers onto the market last year and Perdue got into the game with blended vegetable and chicken nuggets, tenders and patties.

However, price may be an object for the Well Carved brand. The AP News reported that Applegate charges $9.99 for a four-pack compared to $5.29 for the same quantity of organic beef at Aldi.