IKEA Goes Healthy: Adds Salmon Balls To Their Menu

If you are one of those people who go to IKEA for the meatballs rather than the furniture, you are in luck.

In order to do its part in promoting healthy and sustainable living, IKEA recently announced the inclusion of a new food item on its menu. In addition to the traditional Swedish meatballs, chicken balls, and veggie balls, you will now be able to order salmon balls in all of IKEA’s U.S. restaurants.

According to Sabrina Anania-Stepanian, product developer at IKEA food services, the salmon balls represent another step on the way towards reducing the company’s environmental impact. IKEA stores already sell a number of different salmon products, and the salmon balls are made of leftover pieces of fish which cannot be used for the salmon fillets. Salmon balls will not only be served in IKEA’s restaurants, but customers will also be able to buy them frozen to cook at home.

The salmon balls are made with salmon certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), and cod certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and have a lower carbon footprint than the traditional Swedish meatball that IKEA has become known for. The new (m)eatballs are seasoned with lemongrass and seaweed and will serve to increase the variety of options available to those with dietary restrictions. They are also an alternative for the environmentally conscious lover of traditional meatballs, and those who are looking to try something new.

As an initial test run the salmon balls were served in IKEA restaurants in Portugal. They proved to be a success, says Anania-Stepanian. ”A first test in IKEA Restaurants in Portugal shows very positive results: Over 80% of restaurant guests that tried the new salmon balls liked them and almost 90% of customers asked in this survey appreciated the salmon balls as a more sustainable option.”