Lotte Food Expands Plant-Based Meat 'Zero Meat' Lineup... Launches 2 Types of 'Hambak Steak'

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Lotte Foods, which started producing ‘plant-based alternative meat’ last year, will further expand its plant-based alternative meat lineup this year.

On the 20th, Lotte Foods announced the launch of two new products of its plant-based alternative meat brand ‘Zero Meat,’ which allows consumers to enjoy the unique texture and flavor of meat without using any meat: ‘Zero Meat Veggie Hamburg Steak’.

Lotte Foods’ Zero Meat is a brand with the concept of ‘vegetarian food made from plant-derived proteins and ingredients that easily and deliciously deliver health from nature.’ The brand was first introduced in April last year when ‘Zero Meat Nuggets’ and ‘Zero Meat Cutlets’ made from wheat protein were produced at the Gimcheon plant. Zero Meat Nuggets and Cutlets, which reproduce the muscle fibers of meat using plant protein extruded from whole wheat and implement the chewy texture unique to chicken, have sold a total of over 60,000 units since their launch.

The newly released products are ‘Zero Meat Veggie Hamburg Original’ and ‘Zero Meat Veggie Hamburg Mashed Potato.’ Both hamburg products are produced at Lotte Foods’ Cheongju plant. Unlike the nuggets and cutlets that used wheat protein, these use soy-extracted protein to bring out the unique texture and flavor of hamburg steak. It took about a year of research and development to complete the products to replicate the texture similar to beef and pork, different from the existing Zero Meat nuggets and cutlets.

They can be enjoyed lightly with 0% cholesterol whether grilled as is or cooked in an air fryer. In addition, the Zero Meat Veggie Hamburg Original contains about 5g of dietary fiber and about 13g of plant-based protein per 100g serving, fulfilling about 24% of the daily nutritional intake for protein.

Zero Meat Veggie Hamburg Original is a plant-based hamburg steak made by mincing and grilling soy-extracted protein to create a fluffy meat texture. Zero Meat Veggie Hamburg Mashed Potato contains a savory plant-based potato salad with corn kernels embedded inside the hamburg steak, offering a softer taste. Both products come with a brown sauce made from plant-based ingredients such as apple, tomato, and onion, so there is no need to prepare a separate sauce, allowing for a richer flavor experience.

When cooking in a microwave, place one frozen hamburg steak in a microwave-safe container, cover it with wrap, and cook for about 1 minute to complete. For a crispier texture, after microwaving, pan-fry the hamburg steak on low heat for about 30 seconds on each side. When using an air fryer, cook one frozen hamburg steak at about 180℃ for approximately 10 minutes.

Along with the new product launch, Lotte Foods has renewed its existing plant-based alternative meat nugget and cutlet products as ‘Zero Meat Veggie Nuggets’ and ‘Zero Meat Veggie Cutlets.’ The new versions offer a softer meat juice sensation, are coated with crunchy corn chips for a crispier and nuttier taste, and include a tangy and sweet plant-based sauce to enhance convenience and flavor. The product design also features green as the theme color symbolizing plant-based ingredients, creating a fresher image.

The two Zero Meat Hamburg products are currently available at Lotte Mart, with plans to expand sales to offline stores such as E-Mart. Additionally, they are focusing on expanding sales in online malls with high demand for vegetarian food, currently available on Lotte Food Mall, Lotte ON, Auction, Gmarket, and scheduled to be sold on Coupang and others in July.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.