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| CES 2020: Pork made from plants launched by Impossible Foods | CES 2020: Pork made from plants launched by Impossible Foods |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| A plant-based pork substitute has been launched in Las Vegas by one of the leading "alternative meat" producers. | A plant-based pork substitute has been launched in Las Vegas by one of the leading "alternative meat" producers. |
| Impossible Foods, the firm behind the Impossible Burger, says it hopes to appeal to a global audience with its latest vegetarian-friendly meal, which it unveiled at the CES tech show. | Impossible Foods, the firm behind the Impossible Burger, says it hopes to appeal to a global audience with its latest vegetarian-friendly meal, which it unveiled at the CES tech show. |
| Pork is currently the most widely consumed meat in the world. | Pork is currently the most widely consumed meat in the world. |
| The company hopes the product will help it break into China. But one expert said it might find that a challenge. | The company hopes the product will help it break into China. But one expert said it might find that a challenge. |
| The first product to feature the foodstuff - the Impossible Sausage - will be available next week at 67 Burger King restaurants in the US, in a sandwich-based dish called the Croissan'wich. | The first product to feature the foodstuff - the Impossible Sausage - will be available next week at 67 Burger King restaurants in the US, in a sandwich-based dish called the Croissan'wich. |
| Rival firm Beyond Meat has offered a lab-produced sausage product since 2018, but California-based Impossible Foods is also offering a ground pork substitute that it says can be used in a wide range of traditional recipes. | Rival firm Beyond Meat has offered a lab-produced sausage product since 2018, but California-based Impossible Foods is also offering a ground pork substitute that it says can be used in a wide range of traditional recipes. |
| The new products are designed to comply with kosher and halal rules followed by some observers of the Jewish and Islamic faiths. | The new products are designed to comply with kosher and halal rules followed by some observers of the Jewish and Islamic faiths. |
| The firm's sausage and plant-based pork products, like its ground beef substitute, are made using heme (or "haem" in British English) - a molecule derived from plants that contains iron and that resembles blood. | |
| Heme is found in real meat but can be produced without farming animals. | Heme is found in real meat but can be produced without farming animals. |
| The new products also contain no gluten, animal hormones or antibiotics. | The new products also contain no gluten, animal hormones or antibiotics. |
| "Now we're accelerating the expansion of our product portfolio to more of the world's favourite foods," said Patrick Brown, Impossible Foods' founder and chief executive. | "Now we're accelerating the expansion of our product portfolio to more of the world's favourite foods," said Patrick Brown, Impossible Foods' founder and chief executive. |
| "We won't stop until we eliminate the need for animals in the food chain and make the global food system sustainable." | "We won't stop until we eliminate the need for animals in the food chain and make the global food system sustainable." |
| Analysis: Zoe Kleinman, Technology reporter | Analysis: Zoe Kleinman, Technology reporter |
| There was certainly a great deal of excitement at the unveiling of Impossible Pork, in a trendy Las Vegas hotel restaurant. | There was certainly a great deal of excitement at the unveiling of Impossible Pork, in a trendy Las Vegas hotel restaurant. |
| Music pumped and beverages flowed while we were presented with a beautiful selection of bite-sized food samples - pork katsu, sweet and sour pork meatballs, pork dim sum and pork noodles. None of which contained a shred of actual pork, of course. | Music pumped and beverages flowed while we were presented with a beautiful selection of bite-sized food samples - pork katsu, sweet and sour pork meatballs, pork dim sum and pork noodles. None of which contained a shred of actual pork, of course. |
| There were, however, mutterings that the strong sauces used cleverly disguised the taste of the plant-based "meat" itself - I could tell you how spicy the katsu was but I'd be pushed to describe the flavour of Impossible Pork on its own. | There were, however, mutterings that the strong sauces used cleverly disguised the taste of the plant-based "meat" itself - I could tell you how spicy the katsu was but I'd be pushed to describe the flavour of Impossible Pork on its own. |
| What I did notice is that it's got that lighter, dryer texture of traditional meat alternatives like Quorn - it lacks the heaviness, the richness of meat that meat lovers savour. In the interests of research I ate my way through a selection of the canapes, and felt pretty full - but not for very long. | What I did notice is that it's got that lighter, dryer texture of traditional meat alternatives like Quorn - it lacks the heaviness, the richness of meat that meat lovers savour. In the interests of research I ate my way through a selection of the canapes, and felt pretty full - but not for very long. |
| This is perhaps the idea - apparently Impossible Pork contains around half the calories of sausage meat and is also considerably lower in fat. | This is perhaps the idea - apparently Impossible Pork contains around half the calories of sausage meat and is also considerably lower in fat. |
| Impossible Foods said its synthetic pork product would suit a variety of Asian dishes - from spring rolls to dumplings or wontons. | Impossible Foods said its synthetic pork product would suit a variety of Asian dishes - from spring rolls to dumplings or wontons. |
| Pork is in huge demand in Asia. China alone produces and consumes more of the meat than any other country. | |
| Until recently, China was also home to around half the world's farmed pigs - but millions of them have died or been culled due to the spread of African Swine Fever, a viral disease that infects pigs. There is no known cure. | Until recently, China was also home to around half the world's farmed pigs - but millions of them have died or been culled due to the spread of African Swine Fever, a viral disease that infects pigs. There is no known cure. |
| That said, Chinese consumers are more likely to turn to chicken or fish if pork prices rise too high or when pork shortages occur, said Chenjun Pan, a senior analyst at Rabobank. | |
| "The major substitution to pork remains poultry," she told the BBC. | "The major substitution to pork remains poultry," she told the BBC. |
| But in the longer term, US companies that market highly realistic, lab-produced meat substitutes to Chinese consumers may find success, she added. | But in the longer term, US companies that market highly realistic, lab-produced meat substitutes to Chinese consumers may find success, she added. |
| This is because the technology to make these products is dominated by Western firms. | This is because the technology to make these products is dominated by Western firms. |
| "It's very likely that foreign companies will bring this product to China," said Ms Pan. | "It's very likely that foreign companies will bring this product to China," said Ms Pan. |