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Marc Giauque reportingYou've heard of hybrid cars, but how about a hybrid hamburger? One company says it's perfected the taste and texture of a burger, made partially from meat, and partially from soy.
But is the world ready for a hybrid hamburger?
Radio Ad: "It happens every summer. A burger falls through the grill and over the sound of the falling sizzling beef you can hear a man's tragic groan."
Certainly, people from "America's Beef Producers", who produced this ad didn't see this coming: A burger made only partly from meat. Kind of a garden burger meets ground round. The company, Solae, promises it tastes as good, even better, than the real thing.
As good as the real thing?
At the Cotton Bottom Inn, a beer and burger place well known for its garlic burgers, some show up seeking only two things, cholesterol and a buzz. Solae can't do anything about the buzz, but it says it can deliver two thirds the calories, half the fat and all the flavor or a comparably sized burger.
Would people try it?
"It just don't sound good, I like a hundred percent beef. Well I'm not very picky on my food, so I'm sure I'd try it. I'll try anything once. I'm a carnivore so that's pretty much what I go off of."
Across town, At Ab's Drive-in, famous for its Fat Boy Burger, they're not ready to change their recipe. In fact, owner Elizabeth Beutler says she sees nothing wrong with a Fat Boy, as long as there are limits.
Elizabeth Beutler: "As long as it's in moderation, sure you can have a fat boy, but you can't have one every day and some people do, some people have a lot of 'em."
Solae's Charlie Ross might agree. He says the hybrid burgers certainly won't be everybody's cup of tea.
Charlie Ross: "Clearly people that are all beef or nothing certainly may not be our target customer. We're seeking the families that want to make simple changes in nutrition in their lifestyle without sacrificing taste."
Ross says the product could be on the market within the next nine or ten months. In the meantime, at least for many, "Beef - it's what's for dinner."
