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Calling All Mock-Meat Lovers: the Fda’s Verdict on the Impossible Burger’s Safety Is In

Tehrene Firman

July 27, 2018

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Photo: Impossible Foods

Ever since the Impossible Burger made its way into restaurants across the country, vegans and carnivores alike have been chomping at the bit(e) to try the mind-blowingly realistic-looking mock-meat patty. But last November, a report put a slight damper on its success. The research claimed the laboratory-made ingredient responsible for giving the burger a taste and texture akin to real beef—a protein called soy leghemoglobin, which carries the molecule heme—might be a potential allergen since it's never been consumed by humans before. Well, fast-forward to right now, and take a big sigh of relief.

According to a press release, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved heme as safe for your plant-based eating pleasure, getting a unanimous go-ahead from a panel of food-safety experts. "Getting a no-questions letter goes above and beyond our strict compliance to all federal food-safety regulations," says Patrick O. Brown, MD, PhD, CEO, and founder of Impossible Foods. "We have prioritized safety and transparency from day one, and they will always be core elements of our company culture."

"We have prioritized safety and transparency from day one, and they will always be core elements of our company culture." —Patrick O. Brown, CEO and founder of Impossible Foods

Now that Impossible Foods has proven the safety of its product to those outside the company, David Lee, Impossible Foods' COO and CFO, tells Fortune the company is "ready for primetime." With the Impossible Burger currently available at nearly 3,000 locations (including White Castle!), now international in the Hong Kong market, and making its way onto airline menus for the first time, it's safe to say nothing is stopping this meat-free patty from world domination. It's certainly not an impossible notion.