Skip to main content

Got plant? The makers of the Impossible Burger are working on plant-based milk

The meat-free Impossible Burger has gone from “impossible” to “frankly, pretty commonplace” within an impressively short period of time. Perhaps looking for its next big sci-fi challenge, Impossible Foods announced Tuesday that it is moving beyond plant-based meat and into another animal product in the form of plant-based milk.

“The plant-based alternatives that are out there are inadequate,” Impossible CEO Pat Brown said. “The reality is that if they weren’t, there wouldn’t be a dairy market.”

While Impossible Milk is still in the research and development phase and not yet available commercially, the company showed off samples of the new milk-inspired foodstuff (err, drinkstuff) during a demonstration from its food lab; showcasing a plant-based milk alternative that appears far more creamy and milklike than current milk substitutes such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and assorted others. It also will not curdle when it comes into contact with hot beverages, as shown by the researcher carrying out the demo by mixing it with hot coffee.

If Impossible Milk can successfully deliver on its promise, this could be a game-changer for those who do not want to consume animal products for reasons that range from ethical to planet-saving. It would also be a sizable step toward Impossible’s (may not so impossible) goal of eliminating animal agriculture. At present, this contributes some 14.5% of global greenhouse emissions, as per the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.

During today’s call, Impossible also said that it is doubling the size of its R&D team in the next 12 months. It will be recruiting more than 100 scientists from all around the world. They will have access to dedicated “facilities, resources, and [an] innovative environment to create an entirely new technology platform to replace animals as our technology for turning plants into meat, fish and dairy foods.”

From the sound of things, Impossible Milk isn’t going to be the last innovation we see out of Impossible Foods. At present, the company’s product portfolio includes plant-based beef and, as unveiled at this year’s CES 2020, Impossible Pork. Given our admiration for Impossible’s work in the past, consider us suitably excited to see what’s next.

Editors' Recommendations

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Impossible’s new plant-based sausage is here, but only at Little Caesar’s
impossible sausage little caesars

Plant-based food startup Impossible Foods is launching its first new meat-free product since its upgraded Impossible Burger. Get ready for ... The Impossible Sausage.

Created as part of a collaboration with pizza chain Little Caesars, the vegan, halal, and kosher-friendly faux sausage debuts today on the chain’s new Impossible Supreme Pizza. It’s available for a select time at 58 select Little Caesars restaurants, located in Yakima, Washington, along with Fort Meyers, Florida, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other toppings on the pizza include mushroom, green pepper, and caramelized onions.

Read more
Burger King goes meatless with new Impossible Whopper option
burger king meatless impossible whopper version1

When you think of Burger King, you probably think of the juicy beef patty that comes with the Whopper. Now imagine that exact same thing, but without any of the meat. That's what Burger King is promising with the new Impossible Whopper. The fast-food chain announced the arrival of the meatless burger at some of its restaurants on April 1, but it's no April Fools' Day prank. It really will be coming to Burger King locations soon.

To start, the Impossible Whopper will make its debut in St. Louis, Missouri. Fifty-nine Burger King locations within the city and its surrounding area will add the Impossible Whopper to their menus. It will have everything you'd expect out of the standard Whopper: sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, onions, a sesame seed bun. The only thing different is instead of a beef patty, it's the plant-based Impossible burger.

Read more
Thanks to Motif, food startups don’t need a lab to make lab-grown meat and dairy
Impossible Burger 2.0

Startups like Impossible Food and others are working as we speak to change how we produce food. But where do they get the "ingredients" to do so? Boston-based Motif Ingredients hopes to be that supplier.

The company recently secured $90 million in financing to do just that, and it might be a good time to do so. Demand for alternative foods increased 17 percent last year, but obstacles remain primarily in how these meat and dairy substitutes taste. To put it simply, you can still taste the difference, and that doesn't make them appealing to consumers who aren't vegetarians. Beyond Meat's second generation product is probably the only one that has truly come close.

Read more