Will Impossible Foods' retail breakthrough lead to a much bigger plant-based market?

23 Sep 2019 --- Plant-based alternatives company Impossible Foods has entered the retail market with the rollout of its 2.0 plant-based meats across 27 Gelson’s Markets in Southern California, US. East Coast expansion is slated for later this month, with Impossible Foods planning to be available in grocery stores across every region of the US by mid-2020. The launch comes as consumer research conducted by Innova Market Insights showed that almost 10 percent of Americans claim they always buy meat alternatives, while a further 36 percent claim to do so often or sometimes.

Plant-based growth has been a theme for several years, but the extent to which it grew into the total mainstream with both vegetarian and vegan options became incredibly clear throughout 2018. According to data from Innova Market Insights, there has been more than 45 percent average annual growth in food and beverage launches with a vegan positioning (CAGR, 2013-2017). 

In this space, refrigerated plant-based meat, often merchandized alongside conventional animal meat, provides a key growth opportunity for retailers. Innovators in this market have recognized the rise of veganism and general meat reduction – particularly within younger age groups – and almost three-quarters of new meat substitutes launched in the US in 2018 carried vegan claims. 

“The number one focus, or certainly the most attention-grabbing part of the meat alternative sector in the US, has been burgers. If we compare that to Europe for example, we see a wider range of alternative formats such as chicken pieces, sausages and ground beef. I think the ‘bleed’ characteristic of meat replacements could be seen by many consumers as part of the ‘reason to believe’ that the alternative tastes good and compares to meat,” Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Refrigerated plant-based meat, merchandized alongside animal meat, provides a key growth opportunity for retailers.Impossible Foods is joining brands like Beyond Meat, MorningStar, Gardein, and Kroger’s newly announced Simple Truth: Plant-Based on grocery store shelves. However, the company notes that its competition is not plant-based meat brands, but rather the entire meat industry. 

According to Impossible Foods, “next-gen plant-based meat” is made for meat-eaters, angling to compete with conventional options on taste, price and accessibility. 

The company made significant marketing leaps since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved soy leghemoglobin as a color additive in uncooked ground beef analog products. This followed Impossible Foods’ 2018 petition to have the ingredient accepted as a color additive. Soy leghemoglobin imparts a reddish-brown color but has already been used by Impossible Foods as the “magic ingredient” to give an optimized beefy flavor. This ruling allowed the company to sell raw Impossible Burgers directly to consumers, instead of cooked via restaurants.

“Increased availability is what will allow the plant-based meat sector to really breakthrough. Adding new products like the Impossible Burger to the meat case will accelerate this process. Impossible Foods’ entry into retail seeks to create a much bigger plant-based market. Where plant-based meat is concerned, a rising tide will lift all boats,” says Bruce Friedrich, Good Food Institute (GFI) Executive Director.

Impossible Foods made its restaurant debut in David Chang’s Momofuku back in 2016. Since then the company has moved to more mainstream partners and fast food chains. Following Impossible Food’s recent expansion into all 7,000+ Burger King locations nationwide, Impossible’s retail launch marks their next major accessibility boost. Burger King revealed its plans to roll out its plant-based Impossible Whopper throughout the US, following the successful trial of the burger in 59 stores in St Louis in April. 

Edited by Kristiana Lalou