A meat-free burger is to be served on selected Air New Zealand flights this summer.
The plant-based ‘Impossible Burger’ is being made available as part of the airline’s Business Premier menu on flights from Los Angeles to Auckland.
The burger contains an iron-containing molecule called heme which comes from the roots of soy plants. The heme in the burger is the same as the heme found in animal meat.
The result is a plant-based burger patty that cooks, smells and tastes like beef but contains no animal products, according to the airline.
Air New Zealand will serve the Impossible Burger in collaboration with Silicon Valley food tech start-up Impossible Foods on trans-Pacific flights until late October.
In-flight customer experience manager Niki Chave said: “Like Impossible Foods, we are committed to offering our customers a fresh and innovative approach to cuisine.
“We’re confident vegetarians, flexitarians and dedicated meat lovers alike will enjoy the delicious taste of the Impossible Burger, but for those who want to stay with the tried and true it will sit alongside our regular selection of menu items prepared by our talented culinary team and consultant chefs.”
Impossible Foods founder and chief executive Patrick Brown added: “The Impossible Burger is available in nearly 2,500 restaurants throughout the United States and now Air New Zealand will help us take the Impossible Burger to even greater heights.”