ESUS Agri Ltd recently calculated that the base ingredient (pea protein) cost per kg for plant-based burgers is £0.16, a vast difference compared with the top-of-the-range beef burger at £3.55.
The most significant ingredient in the plant-based burger is water, 16% is pea protein.
The beef burger contains 85% beef, whereas water is a small ingredient in the beef burger.
The margin over the base ingredient for the plant-based burger is 99.7% compared to 66.4% for the beef burger.
It seems to us that profit is driving plant-based burgers more than concern for the planet.
We set out our calculations below:
| Beyond Meat Burger Plant Based Burger |
Reds Original Beef Burger 284G | |
| Retail Price £/kg www.tesco.com |
17.70 | 10.57 |
| Base Ingredient | Peas | Beef |
| Base Ingredient % | 50% | 85% |
| Base Ingredient Price £/kg Ex farm www.fwi.co.uk |
0.317 | 4.180 |
| Base Ingredient Cost £/kg* |
0.16 | 3.55 |
| Margin/ Base Ingredient Costs |
99.1% | 66.4% |
| Ingredients | Water, Pea Protein*(16%), Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Flavouring, Stabiliser (Methyl Cellulose), Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Colour (Beetroot Red), Maltodextrin, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Maize Vinegar, Carrot Powder, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin), | Beef (85%), Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)), Beef Bone Marrow (3%), Water, Onions, Seasoning (Sugar, Salt, Spices (Black Pepper, Ginger, Cumin), Onion Powder, Emulsifier (Diphosphates), Mushroom Extract Powder, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid)), Brewed Shio Koji (Rice, Salt) |
| *Assumes 3.5kg peas to produce 1kg pea protein |
