11
September
2026
How do food businesses reduce their climate emissions?
It’s a big question that, despite backsliding in other sectors, some in the food industry tell us they are still fully committed to answering.
Do they make their fleet of vehicles 100% electric? Stick solar panels on the roofs of warehouses, supermarkets or restaurants? Join cycle to work schemes so their staff can get into work under their own steam instead of driving?
These are all admirable endeavors, but the truth is they’re comparatively minor solutions where food businesses are concerned. Take supermarkets – more than 90% of their emissions come from the food they sell (so-called Scope 3 emissions). So it’s less about what’s powering their vans or fridges and more about what’s in them.
And that presents supermarkets with a big opportunity.
In the US, three quarters of all food calories are bought from retail, with 65% coming from supermarkets, supercenters, and other large grocers.
In Europe, figures vary by country, but again, people get the majority of their food from supermarkets. In the UK, for instance, that figure is estimated at over 80%.
Food retailers shape what we eat. And the most effective (and profitable) way they can stick to their promises to reduce their emissions – and sell healthier and more affordable products at the same time – is to sell more plant-based food and less meat.
Supermarket leaders in the Netherlands and Germany, like Albert Heijn, Lidl and Jumbo, have responded to this challenge by setting ‘protein split targets’, committing to increase the proportion of plants-to-animals in their protein sales.
And these leaders have now hit on something that could change the game: ‘balanced’ protein.
Betting on balanced
While marketeers are still puzzling over what to call it, the concept behind balanced protein (or hybrid/blended) is simple: You take a familiar conventional meat product, like sausages, mince or burgers, and add plants into the mix.
So, a sausage containing 30% roasted mushrooms, chicken nuggets with added veg, or minced beef with pea protein.
These combos can increase fibre intake – something most of us don’t eat nearly enough of – while reducing meat – something most of us eat too much of.
Besides the obvious emissions reductions (animal-based foods come with far higher emissions than plant-based) and health benefits, some retailers are selling their balanced products cheaper than the 100% meat equivalent – making them a more affordable option for shoppers hammered by meat price inflation in recent years.
The food manufacturing industry has also cottoned on to the balanced protein opportunity – where taste, price, health and climate benefits all combine in products that people are familiar with and which require little change in eating habits.
But there’s also an opportunity for quick service (fast food) restaurants. For businesses that compete ruthlessly on price, the cost savings of replacing some meat with plants could be an appealing prospect.
In Europe, fast food giants have already made inroads with fully plant-based options. Burger King launched its plant-based Whopper to rave reviews, some from unlikely sources, before it became a standard fixture on the menu.
But balanced protein offers a way to reduce meat without a wholesale switch on the part of the diner.
For those struggling to get used to the idea, it’s perhaps worth pointing out that many fast food joints already ‘blend’ food, just not in a way that’s better for health, climate and affordability – their beef patties can contain meat ‘blended’ from many different cows. So in this sense, blending is not a new concept, but blending with plant-based ingredients for balance is as yet an untapped opportunity.
Balanced protein shows promise in the Netherlands
How would consumers respond? The signs from retail in the Netherlands are promising.
Early evidence from Dutch supermarkets suggests the introduction of balanced products has been a commercial success, with nearly all retailers (including the biggest) now adopting them and a study finding these products were on average 4.4% cheaper than their non-blended counterparts.
So without fanfare but with transparency, food retailers and quick service restaurants have an opportunity to introduce a product with better climate, health and affordability credentials, which requires little to no adjustment from the consumer, who can continue to enjoy the dishes, textures and flavours they love, with potentially more money left in the bank after the weekly shop.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be talking more about balanced proteins. Our Chief Programmes Officer, Nico Muzi, is joining the Hybrid Foods Europe gathering (14-16 September) to speak about where this food category could go next, and we're hosting a 'Breakfast of Tomorrow' during New York Climate Week to discuss the issue with top industry experts.
