Burger King says demand for its plant-based Impossible Burgers is outstripping supply as the company that supplies them pledges to open its factory longer and employ more staff
Demand for fake-meat products produced by Impossible Foods is so high that the company is running out of stock amid unprecedented demand and a lucrative deal with Burger King.
It was announced yesterday that Burger King would offer a plant-based burger, the Impossible Whopper, produced by Impossible Foods, at all its locations throughout the United States by the end of 2019. Burger King has over 7,000 locations across the country.
However, Impossible has reached out to distributors and restaurants to let them know that an Impossible shortage is 'entirely possible' and that demand is 'outpacing the company's manufacturing capabilities,' as first reported by Eater.
Impossible Foods issued a statement Tuesday saying it was stretched thin because of growth in 'every sales category' where it does business, including restaurants, theme parks and college campuses. The company is struggling from 'demand greatly outstripping supply.'
The Impossible Whopper is to be offered by Burger King at all its locations throughout the United States by the end of 2019
Impossible Foods says its struggling from 'demand greatly outstripping supply'
In a statement, reported by CNN, Impossible added it isn't facing a shortage of the ingredients it uses to make the plant-based meat but is facing 'short-term ramp-up challenges.'
The company added that its plant in Oakland, California, will be open longer hours, it's hiring for a planned third shift and installing a second production line that 'should double current capacity.'
Impossible Foods was founded in 2011 by Doctor Patrick O. Brown.
According to its website the company have 'spent years trying to understand everything people love about meat, from its sizzle and smell to its taste and nutrition.
'We searched the plant world for specific ingredients that would recreate those experiences but be better for both people and the planet,' the website reads.
Impossible Foods, which is based in Silicon Valley, introduced its burgers three years ago at trendy restaurants like New York's Momofuku Nishi.
That led to partnerships with more than 5,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Asia, including the White Castle chain.
The partnership with Burger King is designed to offer greater choice for meat lovers, rather than catering to those who have sworn off beef, according to Impossible Foods.
The Impossible Burger, is plant-based, and contains soy protein, coconut oil, potato protein and sunflower oil. It also contains heme, a plant-based ingredient
The burger has been described as the Whopper's 'twin' by the burger's manufacturer, and contains 19g of protein and zero cholesterol
Burger King had a trial run of the Impossible Whopper in St. Louis and made the decision to roll it out nationwide following impressive early results, the fast food giant told DailyMail.com.
'The Impossible Whopper test in St Louis went exceedingly well,' the spokesperson said. 'Burger King Restaurants are targeting nationwide availability of the Impossible Whopper by the end of 2019.'
The burger has been described as the Whopper's 'twin' by the burger's manufacturer, and contains 19g of protein and zero cholesterol.
Impossible Foods, which is based in Silicon Valley, also has partnerships with White Castle restaurants
Burger King had run a trial of the Impossible Whopper in St. Louis and made the decision to roll it out nationwide following impressive early results
The patty is made with soy protein, coconut oil, potato protein, sunflower oil and heme, a plant-based ingredient that makes the burger 'taste like meat', according to the company.
The faux meat is also known for its realistic ability to 'bleed.'
President of Burger King North America, Chris Finazzo, has said that the Impossible Whopper is intended 'to give somebody who wants to eat a burger every day, but doesn't necessarily want to eat beef everyday, permission to come into the restaurants more frequently.'
Burger King says it has found the plant-based beef-like burger isn't affecting sales of its meat based products.
White Castle sells an 'Impossible Slider' burger for $1.99 that are twice the size of White Castle's regular sliders
'We're not seeing guests swap the original Whopper for the Impossible Whopper,' said José Cil, CEO of Burger King's parent company Restaurant Brands.'
'We're seeing that it's attracting new guests,' Cil told Business Insider.
Impossible Foods' mission statement states that 'using animals to make meat is a prehistoric and destructive technology' and using meat-free alternatives is important for the environment.'
It adds: 'Animal agriculture occupies almost half the land on earth, consumes a quarter of our freshwater and destroys our ecosystems.'
Impossible, which launched its Impossible Burger in 2016, announced in January 2019 that it was introducing a new recipe.
'The new Impossible Burger is tastier, juicier and more nutritious -- featuring 30% less sodium and 40% less saturated fat than our current recipe and just as much protein as 80/20 ground beef from cows. 100% more delicious and more versatile than ever,' the website claims.
Nutritional guidelines for the new Impossible Burger launched in January 2019
