Supermarket meat found to contain plant-based fillers, cutting production costs by 4.4%

Meat products sold in Dutch supermarkets can contain significant amounts of plant-based ingredients, sometimes reaching up to 40 percent, according to research by Foodvalley reported Tuesday.

According to Hart van Nederland, retailers are increasingly adding plant-based ingredients to reduce costs. Enriched meat products are on average 4.4 percent cheaper than conventional meat.

The findings apply to products introduced since 2024, including hamburgers and sausages. These plant-based ingredients often include chickpeas, broad beans, sugar beets, and even seaweed, mixed into the meat.

On average, the products contain more than 10 percent plant-based ingredients, though some outliers reach as high as 40 percent, the research shows.

Supermarket chain Jumbo offers the widest range of these “enriched” meat products, followed by Albert Heijn and Lidl, according to the study.