71-609: Impossible Foods Inc. is a company that develops plant-based substitutes for meat products. The company's signature product, the Impossible Burger , was launched in July 2016 as a vegan alternative to a beef hamburger . In partnership with Burger King , Impossible Whoppers were released across the United States by summer 2019. The company also makes plant-based sausage and chicken products. Impossible Foods
142-624: A "disingenuous, desperate disinformation campaign". The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a nonprofit advocacy group that has received funding from the meat industry , has targeted Impossible Foods and other meat analogue producers through advertising, including a commercial during Super Bowl LIV , criticizing meat analogues for using additives. Impossible Foods quickly answered with a parody commercial. In 2016 and 2017, Impossible Foods produced Impossible Burgers in both Redwood City, California , and at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Since
213-418: A "mock clam soup" made from marrowfat beans and cream. Dietitian Sarah Tyson Rorer authored the cookbook, Mrs. Rorer's Vegetable Cookery and Meat Substitutes in 1909. The book includes a mock veal roast recipe made from lentils, breadcrumbs and peanuts. In 1943, Kellogg made his first soy-based meat analog, called Soy Protose, which contained 32% soy. In 1945, Mildred Lager commented that soybeans "are
284-467: A Han dynasty tomb. Its use as a meat alternative is recorded in a document written by Tao Gu ( simplified Chinese : 陶谷 ; traditional Chinese : 陶穀 ; pinyin : Táo Gǔ , 903–970). Tao describes how tofu was popularly known as "small mutton " ( Chinese : 小宰羊 ; pinyin : xiǎo zǎiyáng ), which shows that the Chinese valued tofu as an imitation meat. Tofu was widely consumed during
355-471: A US-wide rollout in early 2020. Some vegetarian meat alternatives are based on centuries-old recipes for seitan (wheat gluten ), rice, mushrooms , legumes , tempeh , yam flour or pressed- tofu , with flavoring added to make the finished product taste like chicken, beef, lamb, ham, sausage, seafood, etc. Other alternatives use modified defatted peanut flour , yuba and textured vegetable protein (TVP); yuba and TVP are both soy-based meat alternatives,
426-406: A component in ground beef used by McDonald's , Burger King and many other fast-food chains as well as grocery chains in the U.S. In government and industry records in testing for the United States' school lunch program , pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella were found dozens of times in meat from BPI, which raises questions about safety of the meat product and the effectiveness of
497-545: A crucial role in utilizing plant-based alternatives for heavy meat eaters. The types of ingredients that can be used to create meat substitutes is expanding, from companies like Plentify, which are using high-protein bacteria found in the human microbiome, to companies like Meati Foods, that are cultivating the mycelium of fungi—in this case, Neurospora crassa —to form steaks, chicken breasts, or fish. Soy protein isolates or soybean flour and gluten are usually used as foundation for most meat substitutes that are available on
568-599: A different strategy. Plant-based meat uses 72–99% less water than conventional meat production. Pollution is the next largest contribution to wasted water. Pesticides used in animal feed production as well as waste runoff into reservoirs can cause ecological damage and even human illness as well as taking water directly out of the usable supply. Animal agriculture is the main contributor to the food sector greenhouse gas emissions. Production of plant-based meat alternatives emits 30–90% less than conventional meat production. While also contributing less to this total pollution, much of
639-431: A meat-like texture, two approaches can be followed: bottom-up and top-down. With bottom-up structuring, individual fibers are made separately and then assembled into larger products. An example of a meat alternative made using a bottom-up strategy is cultured meat . The top-down approach, on the other hand, induces a fibrous structure by deforming the material, resulting in fibrousness on a larger length scale. An example of
710-546: A natural flavoring in the EU), hydrolyzed vegetable protein , various fermented foods, and spices, these reactions are also replicated during cooking to produce richer and more convincing meat flavors. Meat substitutes represent around 11% of the world's meat and substitutes market in 2020 . As shown in the graph, this market share is different from region to region. From 2013 to 2021, the world average price of meat substitutes fell continuously, by an overall 33%. The only exception
781-529: A new food colorant for uncooked products. An FDA rule change that accepted the colorant and allows the sale of Impossible Burgers in grocery stores took effect on September 4, 2019. LightLife , a brand of meat analogues , criticized its competitors Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods in an open letter published in The New York Times , asking that these companies reduce their use of "hyperprocessed" ingredients. Impossible Foods responded by calling it
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#1732782458129852-399: A positive review of London's vegetarian restaurants , claiming, "For fivepence one could get a lentil cutlet, which was very appetizing, and looked like a meat croquette ". Henrietta Latham Dwight authored a vegetarian cookbook, The Golden Age Cook-Book in 1898 which included meat substitute recipes such as a "mock chicken" recipe made from breadcrumbs, eggs, lemon juice and walnuts and
923-604: A similar-sized hamburger patty made with beef. It contains more sodium and more saturated fats than an unseasoned beef patty. The Impossible Burger received Kosher certification in May 2018 and Halal certification in December 2018. On January 7, 2019, Impossible Foods introduced the Impossible Burger 2.0. In July 2020, Impossible Burger patties became available at Trader Joe's and about 2,100 Walmart locations in
994-453: A source of dietary protein by vegetarians, vegans, and people following religious and cultural dietary laws . However, global demand for sustainable diets has also increased their popularity among non-vegetarians and flexitarians seeking to reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture . Meat substitution has a long history. Tofu was invented in China as early as 200 BCE, and in
1065-435: A top-down technique is food extrusion . Both bottom-up and top-down processing can be used alone or in combination to offer various benefits. As discussed later, different meat alternative products have varying nutritional values. A notable advantage of the bottom-up approach is its ability to provide precise control over the composition and characteristics of the end product, allowing for optimized nutritional profiles. On
1136-518: A year for the program. Cargill , among the largest hamburger makers in the U.S., is a big buyer of the meat-based product from BPI for its patties, according to the Times. It suspended buying meat from two plants owned by BPI for several months in 2006 after excessive levels of salmonella were found. Although any cut of beef can be used to produce ground beef, chuck steak is a popular choice because of its rich flavor and meat-to-fat ratio. Round steak
1207-604: Is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers , bolognese sauce , meatloaf , meatballs , kofta , burritos , and mince pies . Note that mincemeat may also refer to a mixture of chopped fruit, distilled spirits, and spices, with or without minced/ground meat, as found in Mince_pies . In many countries, food laws define specific categories of ground beef and what they can contain. For example, in
1278-490: Is generally recognized as safe after testing under FDA oversight, and filed updates with the FDA in 2017 and 2018. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a "no questions" letter in July 2018, accepting the unanimous conclusion of a panel of food-safety experts that the protein that carries heme is safe to eat. This acceptance letter was limited to products cooked in restaurants because soy leghemoglobin required safety review as
1349-453: Is a food product made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients, eaten as a replacement for meat. Meat alternatives typically approximate qualities of specific types of meat, such as mouthfeel , flavor, appearance, or chemical characteristics. Plant- and fungus-based substitutes are frequently made with soy (e.g. tofu , tempeh , and textured vegetable protein ), but may also be made from wheat gluten as in seitan , pea protein as in
1420-538: Is also often used. In the United States, ground beef is usually categorized based on the cut and fat percentage: Ground beef is popular as a relatively cheap and quick-cooking form of beef. Some of its best-known uses are in hamburgers, sausages and cottage pie . It is an important ingredient in meatloaf, sloppy joes, meatballs , and tacos , and as a pizza topping. It can be used to make meat sauces, for example, lasagna and spaghetti bolognese in Italian cuisine. In
1491-440: Is identical to the heme molecule found in meat. To produce heme protein from non-animal sources, Impossible Foods selected the leghemoglobin molecule found naturally in the roots of soy plants. To make it in large quantities, the company's scientists genetically engineered a yeast and used a fermentation process very similar to the brewing process used to make some types of beer. In 2014, Impossible Foods declared leghemoglobin
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#17327824581291562-599: Is needed to investigate their health impacts. A 2023 review concluded that replacing red and highly-processed meat with a variety of meat alternatives improved quality-adjusted life years , led to significant health system savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions; replacement of meat with minimally-processed vegetarian alternatives, such as legumes had the greatest effect. Another review found that meat alternatives are likely to be healthier than meat products and more environmentally friendly but are more expensive. A 2024 review found that plant-based meat alternatives have
1633-424: Is permitted. Ground beef is often marketed in a range of different fat contents to match the preferences of customers. Ground beef is generally made from the less tender and less popular cuts of beef. Trimmings from tender cuts may also be used. In a study in the U.S. in 2008, eight brands of fast food hamburgers were evaluated for recognizable tissue types using morphological techniques that are commonly used in
1704-533: Is popular as a main course and as a dressing in Belgium , where it is known as filet américain ("American fillet"). Food safety of ground meat is problematic; bacterial contamination occurs frequently. Undercooked hamburgers contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 were responsible for four deaths in the U.S. in 1993, and hundreds of people fell ill. Ground beef must be cooked to 72 °C (160 °F) to ensure all bacterial contamination—whether it be endogenous to
1775-498: Is reported to deliver the biggest climate-heating emission cuts per investment dollar of all industrial sectors. Meat alternatives have lower amounts of saturated fat , vitamin B12 and zinc than meat products but higher amounts of carbohydrates, dietary fibre , sodium, iron and calcium. Meat alternatives are rated as ultra-processed foods under the Nova classification , however, when
1846-561: Is then treated with antimicrobial agents to remove salmonella and other pathogens , and is included in a variety of ground beef products in the U.S. From 2001, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the product for limited human consumption. In a 2009 article by The New York Times , the safety of the beef processing method used by BPI was questioned. After the USDA's approval, this product became
1917-674: The Beyond Burger , or mycoprotein as in Quorn . Alternative protein foods can also be made by precision fermentation , where single cell organisms such as yeast produce specific proteins using a carbon source; as well as cultivated or laboratory grown, based on tissue engineering techniques. The ingredients of meat alternative include 50–80% water, 10–25% textured vegetable proteins, 4–20% non-textured proteins, 0–15% fat and oil, 3-10% flavors/spices, 1-5% binding agents and 0-0.5% coloring agents. Meatless tissue engineering involves
1988-616: The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , the FDA started allowing restaurants to sell Impossible beef substitute to consumers, with an additional printed-out sheet satisfying label requirements. In May 2019, Little Caesars began testing the Impossible Supreme pizza in Florida, New Mexico, and Washington state. The pizza featured Impossible Foods' first plant-based sausage product, which CEO Patrick Brown claimed had involved
2059-581: The Middle Ages , chopped nuts and grapes were used as a substitute for mincemeat during Lent . Since the 2010s, startup companies such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have popularized pre-made plant-based substitutes for ground beef , patties , and vegan chicken nuggets as commercial products. Tofu , a meat alternative made from soybeans, was invented in China by the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 CE). Drawings of tofu production have been discovered in
2130-495: The Tang dynasty (618–907), and likely spread to Japan during the later Tang or early Song dynasty . In the third century CE, Athenaeus describes a preparation of mock anchovy in his work Deipnosophistae : He took a female turnip, shred it fine Into the figure of the delicate fish; Then did he pour on oil and savoury salt With careful hand in due proportion. On that he strew'd twelve grains of poppy seed, Food which
2201-689: The United States , beef fat may be added to hamburger but not to ground beef if the meat is ground and packaged at a USDA -inspected plant. In the U.S., a maximum of 30% fat by weight is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef. The allowable amount in France is 5 to 20% (15% being used by most food chains). In Germany, regular ground beef may contain up to 15% fat while the special "Tatar" for steak tartare may contain less than 5% fat. Both hamburger and ground beef can have added seasoning, phosphate , extenders, or binders added, but no additional water
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2272-535: The Boston Consulting Group found that investment in improving and scaling up the production of meat and dairy alternatives leads to big greenhouse gas reductions compared with other investments. According to The Good Food Institute , improving efficiency of the Western diet is crucial for achieving sustainability. As the global population grows, the way land is used will be reconsidered. 33% of
2343-790: The Impossible Burger became a standing menu item in selected additional restaurants in California, such as Jardinière and Cockscomb in San Francisco, and Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles. The Michelin-starred restaurant Public, operated by Brad Farmerie , began serving the Impossible Burger in January 2017. In March 2017, Impossible Foods announced it would build its first large-scale plant in Oakland, California , to produce 1 million pounds of plant-based burger meat per month. In
2414-495: The Middle East, it is used to make spicy kofta and meatballs. The Scottish dish 'mince and tatties" uses it with mashed or boiled potatoes. In Lancashire , particularly Oldham, minced meat is a common filling for rag pudding . The Dutch slavink consists of ground meat (half beef, half pork) rolled in bacon. Raw, lean, ground beef is used to make steak tartare , a French dish. More finely diced and differently seasoned, it
2485-637: The Scythians love; then boil'd it all. And when the turnip touch'd the royal lips, Thus spake the king to the admiring guests: "A cook is quite as useful as a poet, And quite as wise, and these anchovies show it." Wheat gluten has been documented in China since the sixth century. The oldest reference to wheat gluten appears in the Qimin Yaoshu , a Chinese agricultural encyclopedia written by Jia Sixie in 535. The encyclopedia mentions noodles prepared from wheat gluten called bo duo . Wheat gluten
2556-651: The UK nutritional profiling system is used, not all products classified as ultra-processed are rated as unhealthy. In 2021, the American Heart Association stated that there is "limited evidence on the short- and long-term health effects" of plant-based meat alternatives. The same year, the World Health Organization stated that there are "significant knowledge gaps in the nutritional composition" of meat alternatives and more research
2627-579: The United States were $ 895 million, with the global market for meat alternatives forecast to be $ 140 billion by 2029. Seeking a healthy alternative to meat, curiosity, and trends toward veganism were drivers for the meat alternative market in 2019. Sales of plant-based meats increased during the COVID-19 pandemic . The book The End of Animal Farming by Jacy Reese Anthis argues that plant-based food and cultured meat will completely replace animal-based food by 2100. Besides ethical and health motivations, developing better meat alternatives has
2698-418: The United States. Unlike most plant-based products intended to emulate meat, the Impossible Burger contains heme . Heme is the molecule that gives blood its red color and helps carry oxygen in living organisms. Heme is abundant in animal muscle tissue and is also found naturally in all living organisms. Plants, particularly nitrogen-fixing plants and legumes , also contain heme. The plant-based heme molecule
2769-443: The antimicrobial method used in meat recovery system of the company. Between 2005 and 2009, E. coli was found three times and salmonella 48 times. BPI had a rate of 36 positives for salmonella per 1,000 tests, compared to a rate of nine positives per 1,000 tests for other suppliers for the program. However, the program continued to source from BPI because its price was substantially lower than ordinary meat trimmings, saving about $ 1m
2840-453: The beef, chicken, dairy and pork products consumed by the global population with plant-based alternatives could reduce the amount of land used by agriculture by almost a third, bring deforestation for agriculture nearly to a halt, help restore biodiversity through rewilding the land and reduce GHG emissions from agriculture by 31% in 2050, paving a clearer path to achieving both climate and biodiversity goals. The switch to plant-based protein
2911-414: The best meat substitute from the vegetable kingdom, they will always be used to a great extent by the vegetarian in place of meat." In July 2016, Impossible Foods launched the Impossible Burger, a beef substitute which claims to offer appearance, taste and cooking properties similar to meat. In April 2019, Burger King partnered with Impossible Foods to launch the plant-based Impossible Whopper , which
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2982-403: The carbohydrates. The alkaline solution is then treated with acidic substances to precipitate the protein, before being washed and dried. The removal of fats and carbohydrates results in a product that has a relatively neutral flavor. Soy protein is also considered a "complete protein" as it contains all of the essential amino acids that are crucial for proper human growth and development. After
3053-581: The consumption of warm-blooded animals, eggs, and dairy products. Chopped almonds and grapes were used as a substitute for mincemeat. Diced bread was made into imitation cracklings and greaves . John Harvey Kellogg developed meat replacements variously from nuts, grains, and soy, starting around 1877, to feed patients in his vegetarian Battle Creek Sanitarium . Kellogg's Sanitas Nut Food Company sold his meat substitute Protose, made from peanuts and wheat gluten. It became Kellogg's most popular product as several thousand tons had been consumed by 1930. There
3124-535: The cultivation of stem cells on natural or synthetic scaffolds to create meat-like products. Scaffolds can be made from various materials, including plant-derived biomaterials , synthetic polymers, animal-based proteins, and self-assembling polypeptides. It is these 3D scaffold-based methods provide a specialized structural environment for cellular growth. Alternatively, scaffold-free methods promote cell aggregation, allowing cells to self-organize into tissue-like structures. Meat alternatives are typically consumed as
3195-465: The development of 50 prototype sausage products before Little Caesars began offering it to the public. Impossible sausage sandwiches are being sold at many restaurants, including Burger King and Starbucks . Impossible Foods has raised rounds of $ 75 million and $ 108 million from investors, including Google Ventures , Khosla Ventures , Viking Global Investors , UBS , Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing 's Horizons Ventures , and Bill Gates . It
3266-582: The evaluation of tissue's histological condition. The study of the eight laboratory specimens found the content of the hamburgers included: Ground beef in the United States may contain a meat-based product used as a food additive produced using technology known as advanced meat recovery systems or alternatively by using the slime system. Meat processing methods used by companies such as Beef Products, Inc. (BPI) and Cargill Meat Solutions produce lean, finely textured beef product, otherwise known as "pink slime," from fatty beef trimmings. This meat-based product
3337-588: The first half of 2017, the Impossible Burger debuted on the menu of multi-unit franchises, including Bareburger in New York City, Umami Burger in California, and Hopdoddy in Texas. In April 2018, White Castle started serving Impossible Burgers. The partnership with White Castle eventually expanded to include all 377 of its locations. By July 2018, two years after its debut in New York, the Impossible Burger
3408-449: The former made by layering the thin skin which forms on top of boiled soy milk , and the latter being a dry bulk commodity derived from soy and soy protein concentrate . Some meat alternatives include mycoprotein , such as Quorn which usually uses egg white as a binder. Another type of single cell protein -based meat alternative (which does not use fungi however but rather bacteria ) is Calysta . To produce meat alternatives with
3479-612: The ground beef it purchases. A 2010 National Research Council report reviewed the scientific basis of the Department's ground beef safety standards, compared the standards to those used by large retail and commercial food service purchasers of ground beef, and examined ways to establish periodic evaluations of the Federal Purchase Ground Beef Program . The report found that although the safety requirements could be strengthened using scientific concepts,
3550-476: The habitable land on Earth is used to support animals. Of all the land used for agriculture, 77% is used on animal agriculture even though this sector only supplies 17% of the total food supply. Plant-based meat can use a potential 47–99% less land than conventional meat does, freeing up more opportunities for production. Of the total water used in global agriculture, 33% goes to animal agriculture while it could be used for drinking water or other growing purposes under
3621-656: The land being used for animal feed could be used to mitigate the negative effects we've already had on the planet through carbon recycling, soil conservation, and renewable energy production. In addition to the ecological harm caused by the current industry, excess antibiotics given to animals cause resistant microbes that may render some of the life-saving drugs used in human medicine useless. Plant-based meat requires no antibiotics and would greatly reduce microbe antibiotic resistance. A 2023 study published in Nature Communications found that replacing just half of
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#17327824581293692-430: The market. Soy protein isolate is a highly pure form of soy protein with a minimum protein content of 90%. The process of extracting the protein from the soybeans starts with the dehulling, or decortication, of the seeds. The seeds are then treated with solvents such as hexane to extract the oil from them. The oil-free soybean meal is then suspended in water and treated with alkali to dissolve the protein while leaving behind
3763-798: The other hand, meat alternatives produced by top-down approaches may have limited malleability but are more scalable and can utilize available agricultural resources and infrastructure effectively. According to a study by Wageningen University & Research titled " Structuring Processes for Meat Analogues, " Techniques that follow the bottom-up strategy have the potential to resemble the structure of meat most closely.". A cross-national survey conducted among meat-eaters with varying degrees of meat alternative consumption showed that those who consumed higher quantities of meat were more willing to switch to meat alternatives if they resembled authentic meat more accurately. Which can be accomplished through bottom-up approaches. The study concludes that sensory experience plays
3834-948: The potential to be healthier than animal source foods and have smaller environmental footprints. Companies producing plant-based meat alternatives, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods , have been criticized for their marketing and makeup of their products as well as their use of animal testing. Dietitians have claimed they are not necessarily healthier than meat due to their highly processed nature and sodium content. John Mackey , co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods , and Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill , have criticized meat alternatives as ultra-processed foods . Chipotle has claimed it will not carry these products at their restaurants due to their highly processed nature. CNBC wrote in 2019 of Chipotle joining "the likes of Taco Bell ... and Arby's in committing to excluding meatless meats on its menu." In response, Beyond Meat invited Niccol to visit its manufacturing site to see
3905-439: The potential to reduce the environmental impact of meat production, an important concern given that the global demand for meat products is predicted to increase by 15 percent by 2031. Research on meats and no-meat substitutes suggests that no-meat products can offer substantial benefits over the production of beef, and to a lesser extent pork and chicken, in terms of greenhouse gas production, water and land use. A 2022 report from
3976-557: The product or contaminated after purchasing by the consumer—is killed. The color of cooked meat does not always indicate the beef has reached the required temperature; beef can brown before reaching 68 °C (155 °F). To ensure the safety of food distributed through the National School Lunch Program , food banks, and other federal food and nutrition programs, the United States Department of Agriculture has established food safety and quality requirements for
4047-702: The production process. Chipotle later developed its own "plant-based chorizo ". In September 2022, Taco Bell also began adding plant-based meat alternatives to its menu. Some consulting firms and analysts demand more transparency in terms of the environmental impact of plant-based meat. Through a survey, analysts from Deloitte discovered that some consumers negatively linked meat alternatives to being "woke" and politically-left leaning. These ideas emerged in response to Cracker Barrel's introduction of Impossible Sausages in their restaurants in August, 2022. In 2021, 68% of consumers who purchased plant based meats believed it
4118-432: The production was in relatively small quantities, the burgers were not available at retail locations. Impossible Foods also worked on plant-based products that emulated chicken, pork, fish, and dairy, but decided to concentrate on creating a substitute for the ground beef in burger patties. The restaurant Momofuku Nishi in New York, owned by David Chang , began serving the Impossible Burger in July 2016. In October 2016,
4189-513: The short term, and typically healthier, whereas vice foods are the opposite, having more long term consequences. Many ready-made meat alternatives combine these categories with their long list of ingredients. Consumers who are likely to want to be "virtuous" by avoiding damage to the environment or animals are also likely to want "virtuous" food in the form of simple ingredients. Ground beef Ground beef , minced beef or beef mince - often just generically referred to as mince or mincemeat,
4260-528: The textured base material is obtained, a number of flavorings can be used to give a meaty flavor to the product. The recipe for a basic vegan chicken flavor is known since 1972, exploiting the Maillard reaction to produce aromas from simple chemicals. Later understanding of the source of aroma in cooked meat also found lipid oxidation and thiamine breakdown to be important processes. By using more complex starting materials such as yeast extract (considered
4331-537: The total to $ 372 million. In May 2019, the company raised $ 300 million of investment. The total valuation of the company raised to $ 2 billion. On March 16, 2020, another $ 500 million was raised. In total, Impossible Foods has raised $ 1.3 billion over 12 rounds of funding. In August 2020, the company raised another US$ 200 million in an internal round led by existing investor Coatue. Meat substitutes A meat alternative or meat substitute (also called plant-based meat , mock meat , or alternative protein ),
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#17327824581294402-605: The year. In August, it was officially made available nationwide. The Impossible Burger became available in grocery stores for the first time in October 2019, at Gelson's stores, which are only in Southern California. As of May 2020, Impossible Burgers were also available at Fairway Market , Wegman's , Jewel-Osco , Vons , Pavilions , Albertsons in California and Nevada, Safeway in California and Nevada, and various chains owned by Kroger . In April 2020, due to
4473-1033: Was a 0.3% increase in 2020, compared to 2019. The price will continue to decrease, according to projections by Statista (see average price graph). The motivation for seeking out meat substitutes varies among consumers. The market for meat alternatives is highly dependent on " meat-reducers ", who are primarily motivated by health consciousness and weight management. Consumers who identify as vegan , vegetarian or pescetarian are more likely to endorse concerns regarding animal welfare and/or environmentalism as primary motivators. Additionally, some cultural beliefs and religions place prohibitions on consuming some or all animal products , including Hinduism , Judaism , Islam , Christianity , Jainism , and Buddhism . Vegan meats are consumed in restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, vegan school meals , and in homes. The sector for plant-based meats grew by 37% in North America over 2017–18. In 2018–19, sales of plant-based meats in
4544-452: Was an increased interest in meat substitutes during the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Prior to 1950, interest in plant-based meat substitutes came from vegetarians searching for alternatives to meat protein for ethical reasons, and regular meat-eaters who were confronted with food shortages during World War I and World War II . Lentils were used at the turn of the century. In 1897, Food, Home and Garden published
4615-402: Was available at about 3,000 locations in the United States and Hong Kong. By the end of 2018, 5,000 restaurants across all 50 states included the burger on their menus. In April 2019, Burger King began test marketing an Impossible Whopper , using the patty at locations around St. Louis . Later that month, the company announced plans to roll out Impossible Whoppers nationwide before the end of
4686-453: Was founded by Patrick O. Brown in 2011. In July 2016, the company launched its first meat analogue product, the Impossible Burger, which is made from material derived from plants. The company says that making it uses 95% less land and 74% less water, and it emits about 87% less greenhouse gas than making a ground beef burger patty from cows. The plant-based burger has more protein, less total fat, no cholesterol , and less food energy than
4757-466: Was healthier than animal meat. The number dropping to 60% in 2022, demonstrating a decline in consumers beliefs in the healthiness of these meats. Some states have instituted legislation stating that meat alternatives are not allowed to label themselves as "meat". In Louisiana, the so-called, "Truth in Labeling of Food Products Act" was challenged by Tofurky , complaining of free speech violations and
4828-670: Was known as mian jin by the Song dynasty (960–1279). Before the arrival of Buddhism, northern China was predominantly a meat-consuming culture. The vegetarian dietary laws of Buddhism led to development of meat substitutes as a replacement for the meat-based dishes that the Chinese were no longer able to consume as Buddhists. Meat alternatives such as tofu and wheat gluten are still associated with Buddhist cuisine in China and other parts of East Asia. Meat alternatives were also popular in Medieval Europe during Lent , which prohibited
4899-563: Was released nationwide later that year, becoming one of the most successful product launches in Burger King's history. By October 2019, restaurants, such as Carl's Jr. , Hardee's , A&W , Dunkin' Donuts , and KFC were selling plant-based meat products. Nestlé entered the plant-based burger market in 2019 with the introduction of the "Awesome Burger". Kellogg's Morningstar Farms brand tested its Incogmeato line of plant-based protein products in early September 2019, with plans for
4970-402: Was reported that Patrick Brown had turned down an offer of $ 300 million to buy out Impossible Foods in 2015. In August 2017, $ 75 million in additional financing was raised after reaching key objectives, with Bill Gates investing additional money. In April 2018, an additional $ 114 million was raised, led by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and Hong Kong-based Sailing Capital, bringing
5041-649: Was successful on those grounds. Alternative meats companies Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have attempted to appeal to meat eaters. University of Oregon marketing professor Steffen Jahn thinks that this has run afoul of human psychology, saying "the mimicking of real meat introduces that comparison of authenticity." Jahn argues that marketing plant-based meats with traditional meats leads to an artificiality that many consumers do not love. Consumer psychologists split foods into categories of "virtue" and "vice" foods, which ultimately guide how products are marketed and sold. Virtue foods are those that less gratifying appealing in
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