The “Impossible” Rise of Meatless Meats
During lockdown, people are flocking to vegan food.
We’ve all seen it in the meat aisle of a grocery store. Beyond Burgers, Impossible Meats: cozying up to regular beef hamburgers and hotdogs in the meat freezer, not looking at all out of place. But then, the word ‘plant-based’ catches your eye.
What’s this? You do a double-take. Vegan food— in the meat freezer?
Yes, vegan meat is here, and it’s available in way more than hipster restaurants and hippie communes. Meatless meat is lining the shelves of Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Kroger, and Publix. Vegan patties compose Impossible Whoppers from Burger King, mini sliders from White Castle, and breakfast croissants from Dunkin’ Donuts. They’re on menus in Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, Qdoba, Mcdonald’s, Del Taco, TGI Friday’s, and countless more— Meatless meat is not just here, it’s here to stay.
The two biggest brands in the plant-based meat wars are Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, each with a signature product: the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger, respectively. Impossible Burgers are made from soy and heme (the iron found in meat) while the Beyond Burger draws from isolated pea protein and beet juice. And, by most omnivore’s accounts, they taste pretty damn fine.
