Burger King has begun testing its new Impossible Croissan’wich sandwich in selected outlets across the US.
The new “limited-time-only” product features seasoned plant-based sausage from Impossible Foods, along with toasted croissant, egg, and cheese.
Cutting edge
International media were given their first taste of Impossible Foods Impossible Sausage earlier this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, entirely appropriately for a company that positions itself at the cutting edge of food tech.
In 2019, Burger King restaurants rolled out the plant-based Impossible Whopper sandwich nationwide following a successful test in St. Louis and six other markets across the US.
Impossible Foods’ plant-based Impossible Burger has been an extraordinary success story, and is now available at 17,000 restaurants in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau.
‘Cracking meat’s molecular code’
The company attributes its standout success in the plant-based sector to having “cracked meat’s molecular code”. CEO and Founder Dr Patrick Brown says the mission-driven company “won’t stop until it eliminates the need for animals in the food chain”.
The company says that while beef and chicken are the most popular meat products in the US, pork is the most widely consumed meat globally. It therefore sees Impossible Pork as another blockbuster product in the making.
‘Not natural’ criticisms
Impossible Foods is completely open about its use of a GMO derived form of soy leghemoglobin (SLH) to provide a more authentic meat flavour.
But when the company exhibited the product at the Expo West event in March last year, the GM origins of this key ingredient was omitted from promotional information and recipe cards.
Frank Lampe, vice president of communications at the United Natural Products AllianceFrank Lampe, said at the time: “We’re disappointed that the company is using a ‘natural products’ show to promote its certainly not-natural product. The halo effect of being perceived as natural by its presence at the show does not serve the natural products industry or its consumers and is a disingenuous move by Impossible Foods.”