IKEA Australia plans to launch a food delivery service as well as an expanded vegan range.
The Swedish furniture giant announced earlier this week that it is preparing to launch the service by the end of the year, news.com.au reports.
In addition to this, the company launched $1 veggie dogs this week. It also plans to expand its plant-based range with an additional six products within the next 12 months.
The brand’s veggie dog is made from a blend of kale, red lentils, carrot, and ginger. And according to the brand, it has a carbon footprint seven times smaller than a conventional hot dog. In 2018, IKEA trialed the vegetable-centric dog at its location in Malmö, Sweden, to a 95 percent approval rating. IKEA Australia predicts that it will sell around 1.3 million veggie dogs this year.
Creating Sustainable Food
Although the company has not announced what will be added to its plant-based range, a pea protein-based meatball is in the works. The new vegan meatballs have a realistic texture, in contrast to the chickpea-based veggie balls launched in 2015. IKEA expects to launch the alternative protein meatballs in Europe this August.
Well-known for its sustainable ethos, IKEA aims to become carbon neutral by 2030 through non-plastic alternatives to packaging, such as a mushroom-based composite, and through food. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, animal agriculture accounts for 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. But, plant-based food has a significantly lower impact on the planet. The company says that its new meatball has a carbon footprint 95 percent smaller than its Swedish meatballs, which are made from beef and pork.
The expansion of its vegan range is also a response to evolving consumer preferences.
“Our ambition is to make healthier and more sustainable eating easy, desirable, and affordable without compromising on taste and texture,” Michael La Cour, Managing Director at IKEA Food Services AB, said in a statement. “…We see a growing demand from our customers to have access to more sustainable food options and we want to meet that need.”
