Blended Burgers Gain Ground With Plant Binder
Meala FoodTech says its pea protein can replace methylcellulose as a binder in beef-and-plant blended patties.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Vegetarian
Israeli ingredient company Meala FoodTech released sensory data showing its pea protein can bind a 58% plant extender and 42% beef patty without a significant difference from all-beef on beef flavor, overall flavor intensity, bitterness or sourness. The same report noted Lidl said one in four burgers it sold in Belgium since June 2025 was a 60/40 beef and plant protein blend.
Why it matters
Plant extenders in blended products typically rely on methylcellulose, a chemically modified cellulose that appears on labels as an additive, so a cleaner binder could make blends easier to market. Retailers are expanding blended meat offerings, suggesting demand for lower-meat options is growing.
In a blind test of ten trained super-tasters, a 120 g patty made with 58% extender and 42% beef bound with Meala's protein showed no statistically significant difference from all-beef on beef flavor, overall flavor intensity, bitterness or sourness. The blend did differ significantly from beef in darker browning, internal color, juiciness and fattiness (p < 0.05), and the study has not been independently replicated.
The players
Meala FoodTech
Haifa-based ingredient company whose proprietary texturizing process is designed to replace methylcellulose in plant-based and blended meat products.
Lidl
Discount European grocery chain that reported one in four of its Belgian burgers since June 2025 were 60/40 beef and plant protein blends.
Albert Heijn
Dutch supermarket chain that launched 15 blended meat and dairy products in 2025.
The details
Meala's proprietary texturizing process gives plant proteins the binding, gelling and water-retention properties that extenders otherwise lack, which is why many blended recipes add methylcellulose. The tested patties were served without bun, sauce or spices, and the Meala blend was the most-liked of the blended formulations tested.
Timeline
• June 2025: Start of the period covered by Lidl's Belgian burger sales data
• 2025: Albert Heijn launched 15 blended meat and dairy products in the Netherlands
Culture Shift
Lidl's 2024 introduction of 60/40 beef and pea protein mince in Dutch stores set a pattern that its Belgian sales data now extends, with one in four burgers sold in Belgium since June 2025 a 60/40 blend. The shift reflects a wider push by European grocers to sell meat-plant hybrids as a lower-meat option rather than as full substitutes.
Shoppers who buy blended burgers may see cleaner-label options as more brands adopt alternatives to methylcellulose. Readers choosing lower-meat products can expect blends to appear in more mainstream grocery aisles as retailers expand these lines.
The takeaway
Blended products are gaining shelf space in European grocery stores, and the binder used to hold them together is becoming a point of competition. Readers comparing labels can check whether a blend uses methylcellulose or a newer protein-based alternative.
Further reading
Explore more on Vegetarian options and products.
