Hormel Responds to Vegan Burger Boom by Adding Mushrooms to Its Meat Burgers 

Hormel-owned meat brand Applegate recently debuted its newest innovation: a meat burger with mushrooms in it. The Great Organic Blend Burger is available in turkey and beef varieties and was, strangely, created to appeal to consumers who are looking to eat more plant-based foods. “The Great Organic Blend Burger is a win, win, win for conscious carnivores, people who crave meat, but also want to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets,” Applegate Farms president John Ghingo said. The brand launched its meat burgers during a time when consumers are increasingly opting for actual plant-based foods. Last year, supermarket Iceland’s vegan No Bull burgers outsold wagyu beef within a 3-month period. Similarly, vegan patty Beyond Burger outsold Angus beef, 80/20 beef, and grass-fed beef, by unit, at a major Southern California retailer last April. Hormel’s competing brands are ditching animal products completely to formulate vegan foods that appeal to the modern consumer, including Nestlé which plans to debut the “Incredible Burger” (it’s answer to the popular plant-based Impossible Burger) in coming months.