With its new plant-based chicken nuggets, plant-based firm Impossible Foods intends to create a dialogue about the link between animal agriculture and biodiversity loss. The new Impossible Chicken Nuggets Made From Plants: Instead of the popular dinosaur forms, the new Impossible Chicken Nuggets Made From Plants: Wild Nuggies are shaped like endangered species including the polar bear, black rhino, right whale, and Galapagos tortoise, among others.
These shapes were chosen by the startup to represent animals whose lives have been harmed by the resource-intensive global animal agriculture business. Based on a Life Cycle Assessment, Impossible’s plant-based version consumes 49% less land, 44% less water, and creates 36% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than standard chicken nuggets.
In a statement, Laura Kliman, Director of New Product Development at Impossible Foods, said, “Our goal is to spark a conversation at the dinner table about how our food choices impact our planet, and how eating plant-based is the best way for kids to help combat the urgent threat of climate change and nature loss.” “With our newest products, we’re demonstrating to youngsters and customers that they can still enjoy all of the benefits of meat without having to eat any dead animals.”
The new soy-based chicken nuggets will be available at Albertsons, Safeway, and Walmart starting today, with more stores to follow.
The Impossible Chicken Nuggets Made from Plants, which the business released last year, now come in a new form. With the debut of the Impossible Burger, a ground beef facsimile, in 2016, Impossible Foods began its mission to disrupt the animal agriculture sector. Impossible Foods’ foray into the expanding plant-based chicken sector was marked with the launching of the plant-based nuggets.
Burger King, Impossible Foods’ longtime restaurant partner, was the first big fast-food chain to put its plant-based nuggets on the menu in October, when it trialed the new choice in select locations in Des Moines, IA, Boston, MA, and Miami, FL. Other restaurants that sell Plant-Based Impossible Chicken Nuggets include those run by celebrity chefs David Chang (Fuku in NYC).
This year, Impossible’s plant-based chicken nuggets became available at AMC Theater locations across 37 states, after its retail launch in over 10,000 grocery shops.
Vegan sausage patties from Impossible are also on their way to supermarkets. Impossible Foods is increasing the availability of its plant-based sausage patties in addition to announcing the retail debut of its new plant-based wild nuggets. Impossible Foods partnered with foodservice companies to debut the porkless patties, including Starbucks, which will offer the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich in the majority of its US locations in 2020. The vegetarian sandwich was the first time Starbucks has put a plant-based meat item on its menu in the United States.
The formed plant-based sausage patties will be marketed alongside Impossible Foods Sausage Made from Plants grounds, which the firm released last summer in around 13,000 grocery shops. Impossible Foods followed up with the launch of Impossible Meatballs (a combination of its plant-based pork and beef products) at 3,000 Walmart stores throughout the country.
Impossible’s plant-based sausages and meatballs, like its other goods, consume a fraction of the land, water, and energy needed to make their animal-based equivalents. Impossible Meals has so far secured $2 billion in funding to help it achieve its long-term aim of replacing all animal-derived foods with plant-based alternatives by 2035.
