A Swiss vegi-schnitzel has broken the record for the longest schnitzel in the world, but the plant-based leviathan has caused controversy among the public.

Meat-free schnitzel broke the Guinness World Record by 20 metres

The 119-metre long schnitzel was put together by the meat-free food company "planted.", who assembled and cooked the dish in Kempthal, Canton Zurich. The record was made by using a conveyor system to deep fry the food sequentially without breaking it apart. The attempt was certified by Guinness World Records, smashing the original record of 100 meters for both meat and meat-free schnitzels.

The new record holder consists of 180 kilograms of peas, wheat and sunflower protein, which the company calls Vegi-Fleisch, or vegetable meat. It was then topped with around 60 kilograms of breadcrumbs. The whole schnitzel accounts for around 500 portions, which the company offered to the public for free last Monday.

Should it be called a schnitzel?

The record has caused controversy, with the Swiss public debating whether what was made was actually a “schnitzel.” “Looks like a rubberised tyre,” wrote one respondent, who claimed that the title of longest schnitzel in the world shouldn’t go to a dish “pretending” to be meat. Many claimed that it “isn’t a schnitzel,” with critics thinking that the record should adhere to the original Viennese recipe in order to be certified as a record.

"Planted." has made it clear that the schnitzel is “free of animal suffering and good for the planet," claiming that the dish has already been used by the Viennese schnitzel restaurant "Figlmüller." They hope that the new publicity from the record will convince more people to try the meat-free version.

Video: planted. / YouTube