The Spanish plant-based meat company Heura Foods has triumphed over a request to end its controversial advertising campaign, after being criticized for ads raising awareness about the meat industry’s impact on the planet.

The controversy began following a campaign launched by Heura in November 2020 stating, “One hamburger pollutes more than your car.” This sparked an issue for the meat industry in Spain. Representatives from Interporc and Provacuno then demanded that Heura stop all campaigns related to the statement.

But the Barcelona Commercial Court ruled to overturn the meat industry’s request, basing their decision on the fact that “Heura’s advertising messages have a scientific basis and are extracted from scientific reports and studies issued by prestigious publications and organizations.”

Heura’s Mission

Co-founded by Marc Coloma and Bernat Añaños, Heura Foods encourages the use of plant-based products over animal-based options. Since its inception in 2017, the main goal of the company is to accelerate the transition to a world where plant-based is the norm. In an interview with MercaBarna in 2018, Coloma said that Heura’s products could be “meat’s successor.”

The company plans to create this new norm by encouraging the public to to remove animals from their diets. Heura also strives to create and find solutions to other issues in the current food systems.

“People tend to underestimate the great positive impact on the world with small gestures,” co-founder Bernat Añaños said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be able to continue contributing via awareness and citizen empowerment. We must celebrate the decision [of the court] as yet another opportunity to open dialogue and build a future of sustainable food.”

Though many people may think that the changes they make in their own lives are too small to make a difference, this ruling shows that this is not the case. The power might just be with the people, and the way brands advertise plant-based food.

Setbacks

Though Heura has gained wild popularity in Spain, that hasn’t been without its setbacks and challenges. According to co-founder Bernat Añaños, a huge step in the process of encouraging plant-based eating is to break the negative mindset that people have when they are faced with plant-based foods.

“Once people try [our food], the common response is ‘this cannot be plant-based,’” said Añaños in a 2019 interview with Vegconomist. “We will do everything that is on our hands to create as many mind-blowing products as it is necessary to show that we can get meat directly out of plants, and that this does not suppose resigning to anything.”

While skeptics may always be present, Heura is hoping that their products speak for themselves and show that plant-based proteins are possible, delicious, and that those who eat their products are not settling for lesser quality or nutrition.

Heura’s Products

As mentioned, Heura already has a large following in Spain. This is due to their reputation for clean labels, good nutrition, and flavorful foods.

As Vegconomist said in the 2019 interview, the soy-based meat alternatives have short ingredient lists and are enriched with B12. In addition, “the products contain twice the protein content of eggs, four times more iron than one serving of spinach, and six times more fiber than tofu.”

With a positive reputation regarding their nutritional value and great taste, Heura’s plant-based chicken and beef products are increasingly popular and available for those seeking plant-based meat products.

Among the beef-mimicking products is the Heura Burger and Heura Meatballs. There are also chicken varieties: the Heura Chicken Strips, Heura Chicken Chunks and Heura Chicken Mediterranean. The Heura Chicken Chunks come in flavors options, some being Mediterranean, Spiced, Original, and Spiced Taco.

In addition to these stand-alone products, Heura’s website offers recipes to try out their products in different ways. Other plant-based food blogs and sites include Heura in their recipes, so be sure to search elsewhere as well to find your favorite way to prepare Heura products!

By showing people how they can substitute their animal products with plant-based options in their daily cooking, Heura is encouraging the public to get creative with their food as they transition to plant-based.

Where to Buy

Heura is currently available mainly in the European market, though they are now branching out to North America, Asia, and Africa. Their website has a map allowing you to view if/where the products are near you, otherwise they have a plethora of shops linked that offer their products to order online!

As the company continues to grow, so will their reach, so be on the lookout for Heura products in your own area in the future!