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The science behind the “Impossible Burger”?

3 min read

Sustainable Planet

The “Impossible Burger” looks, cooks, smells, sizzles and tastes like conventional ground beef but is made entirely from plants.

Impossible! The 100% vegan burger that “bleeds”

Since you’re taking the time to read about burgers on the Internet, we can assume you really like burgers. Prepare to sink your teeth into all the juicy details of the 100% plant-based Impossible Burger.

A better burger for cows, for humans, and for the planet? Because it’s made entirely from plants, Impossible Foods says that an Impossible Burger uses 95% less land and 74% less water, and it emits about 87% less greenhouse gases than a burger from cows. It’s also 100% free of hormones, antibiotics, and artificial ingredients. Source: Youtube/Quartz

More protein, less fat, fewer calories than beef

In July 2016, Impossible Foods launched the Impossible Burger, which "looks, cooks, smells, sizzles and taste like conventional ground beef but is made entirely from plants." Because it’s made entirely from plants, Impossible Foods says that an Impossible Burger uses 95% less land and 74% less water, and it emits about 87% less greenhouse gases than a burger from cows.

The plant-based burger has more protein, less total fat and fewer calories than a similar-sized hamburger patty made with beef. The Impossible Burger has no cholesterol, antibiotics or synthetic hormones. However it does contain five times as much sodium and more saturated fats than an unseasoned hamburger beef patty of comparable size.

A range of simultaneous sensory experiences tell us when something is meat. Impossible Foods' scientists have been working to replicate all of these stimuli – including
“What makes meat, meat?” A range of simultaneous sensory experiences tell us when something is meat. Impossible Foods’ scientists have been working to replicate all of these stimuli – including “blood”. Source: ImpossibleFoods

What goes into an Impossible Burger?

The Impossible Burger is made from simple ingredients found in nature, including wheat, coconut oil and potatoes. They add one more special ingredient, called "heme". Heme contributes to the characteristic colour and taste of meat, and it catalyses all the other flavours when meat is cooked. While heme is exceptionally abundant in animal muscle, it’s a basic building block of life in all organisms, including plants.

They discovered how to take heme from plants and produce it using fermentation – similar to the method that’s been used to make Belgian beer for nearly a thousand years. Impossible say that by adding heme to the Impossible Burger, it makes it a carnivore’s delight.
Full Ingredient List:
Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil, Potato Protein, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Leghemoglobin (soy), Yeast Extract, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Konjac Gum, Xanthan Gum, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Zinc, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12. 
Contains: Soy, Wheat (Impossible currently buy soy, wheat and potatoes from certified non-GMO sources)
To replicate the fat in hamburgers made from cows, Impossible Foods' plant-based burger used flecks of coconut fat, which were mixed with ground textured wheat and potato protein.
Heme: the “magic ingredient” that make these burgers a carnivore’s dream To replicate the fat in hamburgers made from cows, Impossible Foods’ plant-based burger used flecks of coconut fat, which were mixed with ground textured wheat and potato protein. Source: ImpossibleFoods

Why you should consider the Impossible Burger

The way the world produces meat today is taking an enormous toll on our planet. According to livestock researchers, animal agriculture uses 30% of all land, over 25% of all freshwater on Earth, and creates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all of the world’s cars, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes combined.

It takes a lot of land, water, food, and time for cows to turn plants into meat. And by basically skipping the biggest step in the plants-to-cows-to-burgers equation, Impossible save a lot of resources. Compared to a burger made from cows, making an Impossible Burger uses about 1/20th the land, 1/4th the water, and produces 1/8th the greenhouse gas emissions.

The company make their Impossible Burger entirely from plants, without the destructive impact of livestock so, they say, that future generations will always be able to enjoy a good old-fashioned burger.

Source: ImpossibleFoods

Are you embracing the meat-free revolution?
One final picture of a 100% cruelty-free, planet-friendly, health-conscious burger Are you embracing the meat-free revolution? Source: Facebook/ImpossibleFoods
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