What is in Impossible™ Burger? Your Customers' Questions Answered

Consumers everywhere are seeking products made with Impossible™ Burger at their favorite restaurants in everything from convenient classics to trendy street food. Why? Because Impossible™ products are a delicious alternative to meat made from animals, as well as an exciting and versatile option to add to your menu for all of your guests - from vegans to carnivores and everyone in between!

Once you add Impossible Burger to the menu, it's important to train your Front of House staff on the most common questions, like 'What's in Impossible Burger', 'Is it meat?' or 'How does it compare to ground beef from cows?'

We’re answering all those questions in this blog, but we’ve also created easy-to-use resources in our foodservice hub to help you on your journey, including:

• BOH Cooking Guidelines

• FOH Training 

• Free In Store Marketing Materials

• FAQs

• Recipe Inspiration

In the meantime, here are easy answers to your customers' top questions.

What is the Impossible Burger?

The Impossible Burger is meat made from plants that tastes and cooks like ground beef*  for people who love meat. It’s an extremely delicious and versatile ingredient that is a 1:1 substitute for ground beef, but is way better for the planet — it uses 96% less land, 87% less water, and 89% less greenhouse gas emissions than beef from a cow. 

Each 4 ounce serving has the same amount of protein as 80/20 ground beef (19g) but doesn’t contain any animal hormones or antibiotics. And because the taste is so delicious, Impossible Burger can be used in any recipe that calls for meat -- tacos, sliders, chili, burritos, you name it!

What is the Impossible Burger made of? 

Back in 2011, we started with a simple question: "What makes meat taste like meat?" Then we figured out how to make it with plants. Our team of scientists, researchers and chefs have spent years researching animal meat at a molecular level to learn how it “works”.  We’ve perfected a magic mix of ingredients to craft a truly satisfying meat experience that checks all the boxes: 

• Protein from soy and potatoes deliver that meaty bite with 19g of protein per 4 oz serving, the same as ground beef.

• Flavor from heme, a molecule found in all living things that gives meat (and our product) its unmistakably meaty favor. Learn more about how we make heme. 

• Texture from coconut oil, sunflower oil and binders that give Impossible Burger its sizzle, juiciness, and versatility so you can use it any way you’d use ground beef.

Why does the Impossible Burger use soy?

The major source of protein in Impossible Burger is soy protein concentrate. We use soy because it’s the only commonly consumed plant protein that’s comparable in quality to animal protein. It’s a good source of fiber and essential nutrients like folate, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, phosphorus, and iron.

While the scientific consensus supports the health benefits of soy, concerns have come up about its safety that have zero or little factual basis. If customers raise concerns such as worries that soy causes breast cancer or decreases male fertility, head to this article that debunks common myths about soy.

Is Impossible Burger gluten-free?

Yes! Impossible Burger is gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, vegan, kosher, halal and is loaded with delicious, balanced ingredients people love to eat.

How does the Impossible Burger compare to an animal burger?

In interviews and reviews, chefs and meat-lovers say they are blown away by how similar the Impossible Burger is to a beef burger in flavor and texture. It crisps like beef, has a pink juicy center, a satisfying meaty flavor, and to top it all off, a 4oz serving has the same amount of protein as 80/20 ground beef (19g).

As compared to 80/20 ground beef from cows, Impossible Burger contains:

• 35% less total fat**

• 8X more of the daily value of calcium***

• Good source of dietary fiber (14g total fat) per 4 oz serving

• Essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, riboflavin, phosphorous, Iron, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12 and zinc

• 0 mg cholesterol (14g total fat and 8 g saturated fat) per 4 oz serving

Anything you’d cook with ground beef you can cook with Impossible Burger. Plus, Impossible Burger shrinks up to 28% less than 80/20 ground beef from cows, so you get more for every pound.

What does Impossible Burger taste like?

Delicious! More specifically, the Impossible Burger tastes like ground beef from cows*, but is made from plants. Our products are made for people who love meat, and you can tell your customers that the Impossible Burger satisfies their cravings like ground beef from cows****.

"Nobody will miss the beef, Impossible (Burger) is delicious! It's just a damn tasty burger! I loved that Impossible (Burger) can be seared on the outside with a rosie juicy inside, just like a medium cooked beef burger." - Chef Craig Wong, Patois

Serve Impossible Burger at your restaurant

Are you reading this blog because you're considering adding Impossible Burger to menu? Then head over to ImpossibleFoods.com/sell-impossible to grab a free sample and try it out for yourself!

* In a home usage study, 70% of 254 consumers who cooked with Impossible Burger thought the taste was comparable to or better than ground beef from cows.

** USDA 80/20 ground beef contains 23 g total fat while the Impossible Burger contains 14 g total fat per 4 oz serving

*** USDA 80/20 ground beef contains 2%DV of calcium while the Impossible Burger contains 15% DV of calcium per 4 oz serving.

**** In a home usage study, 76% of 254 consumers said Impossible Burger satisfied their beef cravings as well as or better than ground beef from cows.