SAN FRANCISCO—In response to overwhelming demand from critics and restaurateurs, Impossible Foods is accelerating the rollout of Impossible Burger 2.0 to about 200 restaurants nationwide this week and to thousands more over the upcoming weeks.
The next-generation version of the plant-based Impossible Burger contains no gluten, animal hormones or antibiotics. It’s kosher- and halal-certified.
The new recipe delivers the rich, beefy taste that discerning meat lovers demand — with as much bioavailable iron and high-quality protein as a comparable serving of ground beef from cows. In addition, the new Impossible Burger has 0 mg cholesterol, 14 grams of total fat and 240 calories in a quarter-pound patty (vs 80 mg cholesterol, 23 grams of total fat and 290 calories in a quarter-pound patty of conventional “80/20” ground beef from cows).
Impossible Foods launched the next-generation burger Jan. 7 during the International Consumer Electronics Show. Impossible Burger 2.0 won top prizes at CES, including “Most Unexpected Product,” “Most Impactful Product” and “Best of the Best.” In addition, Impossible Burger 2.0 received the “Best Food Tech Award” from Tom’s Guide and the “Top Tech of CES Award” from Digital Trends. Impossible Burger 2.0 was singled out as the “Best Tech of CES” by Mashable; “The Coolest Stuff From CES” by Digg; and “The Most Exciting New Product at CES” by BRG.
For the past week, Impossible Burger 2.0 has been available exclusively in about 20 of America’s most influential restaurants (see full list here). Based on critical acclaim and strong demand for the new product, Impossible Foods accelerated the rollout this week to about 200 restaurants, including the following restaurant groups:
- Grindhouse Killer Burgers (Georgia)
- Gott’s (San Francisco Bay Area)
- M Burger (Chicago)
- Mendocino Farms (California)
- B Spot and Bar Symon (Ohio)
- Monty’s Good Burger (Southern California)
- Clover Food Lab (Boston)
- Wahlburgers (Boston only)
- Ciccio Restaurant Group (including Daily Eats, Better Byrd, Ciccio Water, Green Lemon, and Ciccio Cali in Brandon, Tampa Palms and St. Petersburg)
- The Counter (nationwide)
- Bareburger (nationwide)
- Hopdoddy (nationwide)
- Umami (nationwide)
“The new recipe has only been available for a week, but we’ve been blown away by the positive response — from media, top-tier chefs, restaurant owners and particularly diners,” said Impossible Foods’ Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer David Lee. “Our longtime restaurant partners are asking to get it as quickly as possible — and we’re thrilled they can get this exclusive opportunity.”
The new recipe will be available only at select top-tier restaurants and better burger establishments through Feb. 4, when the next-generation product will then become available to all restaurants in the United States through major food distributors. Starting Feb. 4, distributors can order the new recipe; by March nearly all of Impossible Foods’ existing customers should be serving the new recipe to diners.
The Impossible Burger is now available in more than 5,000 locations in the United States and in more than 100 restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau. The company plans to launch the new recipe in Singapore later this year, with additional markets to come.
Click here to see this video news release about the next-generation Impossible Burger. To order the Impossible Burger, email hello@impossiblefoods.com.
Big Taste, Small Footprint
Based in Redwood City, Calif., Impossible Foods makes meat directly from plants — with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. The company uses modern science and technology to create wholesome and nutritious food, help spare natural ecosystems and feed a growing population sustainably.
To satisfy the global demand for meat at a fraction of the environmental impact, Impossible Foods developed a far more sustainable, scalable and affordable way to make meat, without the catastrophic environmental impact of livestock.
Shortly after its founding in 2011, Impossible Foods’ scientists discovered that one molecule — “heme” — is uniquely responsible for the explosion of flavors that result when meat is cooked. Impossible Foods’ scientists genetically engineer and ferment yeast to produce a heme protein naturally found in plants, called soy leghemoglobin.
The heme in the Impossible Burger is identical to the essential heme humans have been consuming for hundreds of thousands of years in meat — and while the Impossible Burger delivers all the craveable depth of beef, it uses far fewer resources.
Impossible Burger 2.0 coming soon to grocery stores
In addition to delivering unprecedented taste and nutrition, the new Impossible Burger is also exceptionally versatile. It works well in any ground meat dish, including stews, chili, sauces, braises, minces, meatballs, meat pies or any other meaty dish.
The next-generation Impossible Burger is delicious on the BBQ, in a crock pot, steamer or casserole, in recipes from lasagna to lo mein. It can be steamed, seared, or sizzled on slats over an open flame. It retains its texture and juiciness throughout the cooking process. It is kosher- and halal-certified.
The new recipe gets its meaty chew and versatile texture from soy protein, not wheat protein — a response to consumers who loved the original Impossible Burger but wanted no wheat or gluten. Impossible Foods makes the new product in its manufacturing facility in Oakland, Calif. The new product will be certified as “gluten free” this spring, 90 days after the last wheat is removed from the manufacturing process.
Later this year, Impossible Foods plans to launch the next-generation Impossible Burger in select US grocery stores. That means millions of home chefs will be able to enjoy the Impossible Burger’s industry-leading taste and functionality.
About Impossible Foods:
Based in California’s Silicon Valley, Impossible Foods makes delicious, nutritious meat and dairy products directly from plants — with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. The privately held company was founded in 2011 by Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at Stanford University and a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Investors include Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, Google Ventures, Horizons Ventures, UBS, Viking Global Investors, Temasek, Sailing Capital, and Open Philanthropy Project.
More information:
www.twitter.com/impossiblefoods
