Ikea Launches Veggie Balls, Pledges More Sustainable Food Choices

This week, Ikea begins serving its new veggie ball, a move the company calls its first step to offering a greater variety of sustainable foods, "produced in a responsible manner that considers people, planet, and animal welfare," the company announced in a press release.

Among its sustainability efforts, Ikea has pledged to focus on ingredients that are responsibly produced.

By the end of 2015, Ikea promises to make all of its seafood, with the exception of crayfish, certified sustainable by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or the Marine Stewardship Council (ASC). The organization is currently working with the MSC to certify crayfish fisheries.

Additionally, Ikea will provide consumers with more nutritious and appropriately portioned menu options, and update the look of its restaurants to reflect its Swedish heritage and "a more personal experience and 'homey' feeling."

"We will continue to serve delicious food, offering a taste of Sweden at affordable prices, but with increasing focus on the aspects of food that are really important to people: health and sustainability," said Michael La Cour, managing director of Ikea Food Services AB. "We have high ambitions, and our journey in this direction has just begun."