Impossible Foods & Beyond Meat burgers

[dropcap size=small]V[/dropcap]egan burger patties that bleed might sound like a horror movie plot for vegetarians, but it isn’t. it is reality. Five years ago, The Peak wrote about a new breed of meat, derived from vegetable protein and made to taste like beef. It sounded like a bad futuristic joke then, but guess what: The future is now.

Beyond Burger, which features Beyond Meat’s patties, made a quiet debut in Singapore last year and, in recent months, Impossible Foods has been beating a fast and furious chase, with high-profile restaurants serving some unique creations made from its plant protein.

(RELATED: These plant-based patties taste just like meat)

The global plant protein market was valued at US$10.6 billion (S$14.3 billion) in 2017, and the meat alternative is set to be a big driver. The big boys all know this: Li Ka Shing is cashing in on the trend by putting his money on Impossible Foods, while Bill Gates has backed both Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.

Closer to home, Temasek Holdings led a US$75 million investment round for Impossible Foods in 2017. But the proof of the patty is in the eating, so let’s cut the fat and get to the beef.

(RELATED: Are plant-based meats just a fad or paving the way for the future?)