Written by Veronica Chavez for One Green Planet
It’s been over a year since Impossible Foods first revealed plans for the Impossible Burger, a plant-based meat patty that cooks, smells, tastes, and even “bleeds” like real meat. Now, the company is finally ready to roll out their impressive product. Unlike the folks over at Beyond Meat, who have recently launched their own meaty Beast Burger in grocery stores, Impossible Burger will make its debut in restaurants, starting in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York this July.
The Impossible Burger aims to emulate meat in a way no other plant-based patty has before. While some other burgers turn to veggies as a light, nutritious base, the Impossible Burger goes slightly more scientific with their approach. They simulate beef fat with coconut oil, use potato proteins to create that familiar crust that meat forms when it is seared, and use “heme,” a compound extracted from yeast that gives color to red meat. The result? A burgerso realistic, it almost gives you that uneasy “uncanny valley“ feeling, primarily felt when viewing robot androids.
Impossible Foods isn’t just trying to revolutionize food just for the sake of taste, though. Their meatless beef burger contains more protein than a regular burger, without the cholesterol, hormones, or antibiotics. This essentially gives consumers the taste they crave in a much healthier form, something that could have an amazing impact on public health, and could help tackle the obesity and heart disease epidemic in the U.S. and around the world.
The Impossible Burger, like other plant-based meats, is also environmentally superior to conventional burgers. According to the company, making the plant-based burger uses 99 percent less land, 85 percent less water, and emits 89 percent less greenhouse gas than traditional beef production. Considering the animal agriculture industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector, these are not just impressive statistics, they are characteristics of a product that may just save the planet. Even with months remaining until the burger’s restaurant launch, well-renowned chefs are showing their support for the burger. David Chang, restauranteur and founder of the Momofuku restaurant group, shared this encouraging update on his Facebook page:
“Today I tasted the future and it was vegan: this burger was juicy/bloody and had real texture like beef. But more delicious and way better for the planet. I can’t really comprehend its impact quite yet…but I think it might change the whole game.”
With more people choosing to leave meat and dairy off their plates, the world has simply been waiting for one, or a handful, of great alternatives to come about and revolutionize the food system by proving that plant-based food can be a delicious and sustainable way to #EatForthePlanet. “As Americans learn more about how food is directly tied to our health and well-being, as well as the health of the planet, they are seeking better options, namely less meat, and more plant-based foods,” said Nil Zacharias, Co-Founder of One Green Planet, “Meat is being redefined at this very moment, and we’re undoubtedly at an exciting point in history where concrete steps are finally being taken to focus on solutions that have the power to shape the future of food.” Whether the Impossible Burger will be a pivotal turning point in the food world is yet to be seen, but all signs seem to point to yes.