Impossible Foods unveils e-commerce platform for family-sized, meat-free deliveries

08 Jun 2020 --- Amid the sweeping quarantine lockdowns that have clamped down on out-of-home purchases, meat alternatives heavyweight Impossible Foods has launched a new e-commerce site for its US consumers to purchase family-size quantities of the plant-based Impossible Burger. The direct-to-consumer orders come with compostable and recyclable packaging, free shipping and two-day home delivery.

“Impossible Foods reports that it has increased its retail footprint nearly 20-fold since the start of 2020, and its flagship product is now available in over 3,000 grocery stores across the US, including Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Gelson’s, H-E-B, Kroger, Ralphs, Safeway, Smith’s and Wegmans, among others,” the company outlines.

The demand for meat substitutes continues to surge. “The Plant-Based Revolution” is pegged by Innova Market Insights as a pivotal trend set to shape the F&B landscape this year and onward. According to the market researcher, 2019 saw a 59 percent increase in plant-based claims in new product launches globally.

Impossible Foods recently secured approximately US$500 million in its latest funding round. The Impossible Burger rivals ground beef from cows for taste, and is marketed as nutritious and versatile in all ground meat recipes, including stews, chili, sauces, braises, minces, meatballs, meat pies or any other beefy menu item. The product can be cooked on an outdoor BBQ grill, flat top, high speed oven, steamer or sauté pan.

The Impossible Burger has as much protein and bioavailable iron as a comparable serving of ground beef from cows. A 4-ounce serving of Impossible Burger has 0 mg cholesterol, 14 g of total fat, 8 g of saturated fat and 240 calories. A conventional 4-ounce “80/20” patty from cows has 80 mg cholesterol, 23 g of total fat, 9 g of saturated fat and 290 calories.

In addition, the meat-free product contains no animal hormones or antibiotics, and is kosher, halal and gluten-free certified. Because it’s made from plants and bioengineered, it uses 96 percent less land, 87 percent less water and 89 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional beef from cows.

The Impossible Burger made its grocery store debut in September 2019, when it debuted in East and West coast supermarkets, “easily outselling all ground beef from cows at many grocery stores,” according to Impossible Foods. “At one grocery store in Southern California, Impossible Burger outsold all brands of ground beef from cows and it outsold the next most popular single product by six times.”

As demand for online shopping surges and many grocery stores impose quotas on meat, home cooks can purchase Impossible Burger in larger quantities on the company’s website: Impossible Convenience Pack” includes four 12-oz. Packages; Impossible Combo Pack including two 12-oz. packages and ten quarter-pound patties; Impossible Family Pack, including a single, 5 lb bulk package; and Impossible Grilling Pack, including 20 quarter-pound patties.

The pandemic continues to accentuate businesses’ critical need for digitized and contact-free solutions. In March, a new virtual “in store” concept by LifeStyles in 360 debuted, allowing consumers to shop from their homes thanks to virtual reality technology, paired with a white-glove delivery service. Meanwhile, industry has seen new momentum in the rise of the virtual trade show.

In traditional retail channels, Burger King continues to sell its Impossible Whopper at its US locations, saying the menu item has exceeded expectations and continues to attract new guests. Meanwhile, DoorDash, a door-to-door delivery service, has launched a dedicated Impossible Cuisine category to showcase merchants that offer Impossible menu items.

By Benjamin Ferrer