IKEA Australia launches plant ball for meat lovers

IKEA has challenged one of its brand icons – the much-loved classic meatball, by creating a more sustainable plant ball alternative. The revolutionary plant ball has the same look and taste as the original meatball, but with plant-based ingredients. The plant ball was created to provide everyone with the classic IKEA meatball experience that so many people know and love across the world.

The plant ball will be served with mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and cream sauce, in the same way as the traditional dish, and at the same low price. Customers can also purchase a take-home pack of frozen plant balls from the Swedish Food Market. The recipe of the plant ball does not include animal-based ingredients, which make this new addition to the IKEA food range a suitable option for the many.

“With the new plant ball, we’re able to offer a more sustainable option of our well-known original meatball without compromising on the classic IKEA meatball experience that is loved by so many people around the world”, says Matthew Taylor, Country Food Manager for IKEA Australia.

The new plant ball, a plant-based meat substitute, is made with yellow pea protein, oats, potatoes, onion and apple, but looks and tastes like meat. With a climate footprint of only 4% of the classic IKEA meatball, the plant ball contributes to the IKEA ambition to become climate positive by 2030.

Driven by the vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, IKEA wants to inspire a more sustainable eating and lifestyle habits with a positive impact on people and the planet. IKEA Australia recently incorporated the veggie hot dog to the IKEA Food offer, and now the plant ball continues to contribute to our goal of including more plant-based ingredients in the range at affordable prices, and most importantly, still being delicious. 

“At IKEA we sell more than one billion meatballs every year. Imagine if we could get some of our many meatball lovers to choose the plant ball instead. If we were to convert about 20% of our meatball sales to plant balls that would mean around 8% reduction of our climate footprint for the food business at IKEA.”, says Sharla Halvorson, Health & Sustainability Manager for the IKEA food business globally.

The plant ball is available at all IKEA Australia stores.