First 'Fresh' Veggie Burger Hits Whole Foods Shelves

Los Angeles-based startup Beyond Meat has introduced its latest plant-based "meat" product, which made its debut at a Whole Foods in Boulder, Colorado.

The product, the Beyond Burger, is the first plant-based fresh burger to be sold alongside meat products in the refrigerator section, according to the company. The company also claims that the 100 percent vegan burger "looks, cooks, and tastes like ground beef" while boasting no GMOs, soy, or gluten. The burger has 20 grams of plant protein per serving.

The Beyond Burger is being sold in two-packs of four-ounce burgers for $5.99, with plans to expand distribution to a handful of Colorado and D.C. Whole Foods stores and a broader expansion later this summer, reports Grub Street.

The veggie burger browns on the outside while remaining pink on the inside, like real beef, and even "bleeds" when it is cut into, which is made possible by the addition of pulverized beets.

Tom Rich, vice president of purchasing and distribution in the Denver region of Whole Foods Market, who is also a vegetarian, says the Beyond Burger, "tasted and felt and chewed like any other burger, and on some level, I just want to be able to eat the same way everyone else eats," quotes The New York Times.

Interested in learning more? Click here to read more about Beyond Meat.