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Has anyone tried the first iteration of this burger before? Supposedly it is pretty darn good and avoids the problems most meat free alternatives face such as an over reliance on spices and lack of flavour.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/impossible-burger-2-taste-test-ces-2019/

The new version sounds awesome and it being available in grocery stores is a big step forward. In short it is a plant based beef patty that can be cooked and shaped the same way you would an actual one, it also "bleeds" in the same way as well and is pretty much indistinguishable from a regular burger. Combine that with the fact it has the same nutritional value as a burger and it seems like we have a decent meat replacement not too far off in our future...

I'd want to take a good long look at the ingredient list before ingesting one. Gods know what sort of chemicals might be in there to create that effect.

If it passes that test, then I'll give one a try. I'll give them this much, it sure looks like a real hamburger, more real than your typical McOverdone burger.

I tried an impossible burger once. I had terrible gastrointestinal issues for two days. It didn't taste that good either.

I've nothing against vegeterianism, veganism or whatever else. However, I don't see the point of stuff like this. Just be vegetarian, no need to try to pretend it's meat.

As you correctly identified, people who want to be vegetarian already have vegetables to eat.

So this artificial hamburger thing not aimed at vegetarians, tt's aimed at meat eaters, so they can be satisfied by a meat-like food which nonetheless is not made of meat.

Obviously this can only work for mince type products. You can't make a slab of steak this way.

Arguably though, hamburgers are for people who don't want a real piece of meat such as steaks and roasts.

 Vulcan wrote:
I'd want to take a good long look at the ingredient list before ingesting one. Gods know what sort of chemicals might be in there to create that effect.

Have you seen the chemical composition of a normal burger? Once the grease, fat and oils are broken down in a list, I doubt anyone would want to go near it.
A supermarket near me is printing the while list for all of their deli-counter products, and the printer has a hard time keeping up. A scotch egg goes on for 10-12 lines of ingredients.
I know what you mean though. If they could just replace the ingredient entry of "beef" for "beef substitute", more people would go for it.

As for mince-type products, they could make dense mincy lumps and squish them together. It might look a bit more like a steak that way.

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I've nothing against vegeterianism, veganism or whatever else. However, I don't see the point of stuff like this. Just be vegetarian, no need to try to pretend it's meat.

I like meat. I find it tasty. However if somebody can offer something that tastes like meat but is more enviroment friendly than real meat I would have no trouble eating it.

I don't think 100% vegetarians are the market. It's more like people like me. Especially when time comes it's 100% essential to do drastic things to save economy it might be good idea to have meat tasting replacement if they flat out ban real meat.

Yeah it is more intended for meat eaters, the one review of it from a vegetarian I found was that it was too realistic for them and grossed them out. Having never had a burger before myself I think I would be in the same boat.

https://www.cnet.com/news/impossible-burger-2-0-tasted-so-real-it-made-this-vegetarians-stomach-turn/

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I've nothing against vegeterianism, veganism or whatever else. However, I don't see the point of stuff like this. Just be vegetarian, no need to try to pretend it's meat.

Their stated mission is eliminating the consumption of meat.

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I've nothing against vegeterianism, veganism or whatever else. However, I don't see the point of stuff like this. Just be vegetarian, no need to try to pretend it's meat.

Its about as useful as a nicotine patch.
Helpful with the transition, but unnecessary for a vegetarian / non smoker.

Nicotine patches are very useful for smokers wanting to get the high without smoking.

 Skinnereal wrote:

 Vulcan wrote:
I'd want to take a good long look at the ingredient list before ingesting one. Gods know what sort of chemicals might be in there to create that effect.

Have you seen the chemical composition of a normal burger? Once the grease, fat and oils are broken down in a list, I doubt anyone would want to go near it.

That depends very much on where you buy your meat. The burgers in my freezer right now have 5 ingredients. Aberdeen Angus beef (>10% fat), breadcrumbs, salt, onion, pepper

Here are the ingredients of Impossible Burger, as lited on their web site.

Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil, Potato Protein, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Leghemoglobin (Soy), Yeast Extract, Salt, Konjac Gum, Xanthan Gum, Soy Protein Isolate, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Zinc, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
.

Obviously this can only work for mince type products. You can't make a slab of steak this way.

One of the articles I read said that's their next project.
Anyway, I'd try it just to try it. I also read somewhere that the initial price will be the same as premium-quality ground beef, so it'll have to get cheaper before I would consider it as a regular substitute.

 Orlanth wrote:

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
I've nothing against vegeterianism, veganism or whatever else. However, I don't see the point of stuff like this. Just be vegetarian, no need to try to pretend it's meat.

Its about as useful as a nicotine patch.
Helpful with the transition, but unnecessary for a vegetarian / non smoker.

It's more like vaping actually. It can be a useful aid to "quit", but it can just easily be consumed as its own thing instead of or alongside the original. Because some people like the experience even if they acknowledge the health/environmental/ethical concerns.

Regardless, what I'm interested in is if I can get this A: cheaply, and B: in a form that doesn't fake-bleed, because I'm one of those weirdos that actually, you know, cooks their meat properly(by which I mean, actually cook it, not heat it to whatever level of not-actually-cooked some gastronome insists is better than actually cooking it for some daft reason).

Iv tried the impossible burger at fat burger once. honestly its ok, texture is off but not unpleasant.

now they need to make it way cheaper.

i have no beef with this faux meat stuff. im fine with eating tasty things regardless of if its meat super science gmo, organic, inorganic, vegetarian, vegan or whatever.

As long as I can't tell the difference between it and the real thing, I'd eat it.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Here are the ingredients of Impossible Burger, as lited on their web site.

Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil, Potato Protein, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Leghemoglobin (Soy), Yeast Extract, Salt, Konjac Gum, Xanthan Gum, Soy Protein Isolate, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Zinc, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

Thoughts from the internet:

- Textured vegetable or wheat proteins are made using hexane, which is a gasoline production byproduct. Supposedly the toxic dose of hexane from the protein production process is high enough that you would need to consume hundreds of kilograms of the protein in a day.
- Yeast extract isn't MSG, but it is a glutamate, which some people are sensitive to. And too much of any source of glutamates appears to be considered not good.
- Coconut oil might actually be pretty bad for you.
- Unfermented soy may be harmful to people with thyroid issues.

Whether these statements are true or not is a faith-based decision left up to the reader. You can ask any question about health or diet and you are likely to receive at least 10 answers, all of which are probably somehow wrong or incomplete.

I know several hypothyroid people who have cut out unfermented soy and they have been happier since. The plural of anecdote is not data, I realize, but even if it was only in their head, well, that's really the only place that matters.

AGAIN, when you look at their website, their stated mission is: "TO SAVE MEAT. AND EARTH."

They aren't concerned with making the healthiest product, nor are they catering to vegetarians. They have a very specific mission to make a nonmeat product that can replace beef to save the cattle and stop animal agriculture. It is what it is.

 gorgon wrote:
AGAIN, when you look at their website, their stated mission is: "TO SAVE MEAT. AND EARTH."

They aren't concerned with making the healthiest product, nor are they catering to vegetarians. They have a very specific mission to make a nonmeat product that can replace beef to save the cattle and stop animal agriculture. It is what it is.

Yup.

 Desubot wrote:

I have no beef with this faux meat stuff.

I see what you did there

You don't mince your words.

 Skinnereal wrote:

 Vulcan wrote:
I'd want to take a good long look at the ingredient list before ingesting one. Gods know what sort of chemicals might be in there to create that effect.

Have you seen the chemical composition of a normal burger? Once the grease, fat and oils are broken down in a list, I doubt anyone would want to go near it.
A supermarket near me is printing the while list for all of their deli-counter products, and the printer has a hard time keeping up. A scotch egg goes on for 10-12 lines of ingredients.
I know what you mean though. If they could just replace the ingredient entry of "beef" for "beef substitute", more people would go for it.

As for mince-type products, they could make dense mincy lumps and squish them together. It might look a bit more like a steak that way.

The ingredient list for a good hamburger patty is very short. "80/20 hamburger". That is, 80% ground beef tissue, 20% ground beef fat. The chemical composition is irrelevant. That's why I specified 'ingredient list' and not 'chemical composition.' I don't CARE what beef breaks down into when subjected to a full chemical analysis; I only care about what my digestive system is going to make of it. In the case of beef, I already know the answer.

And if it takes a full-bore chemistry lab to make this 'impossible burger', I'm don't think I want to see what my digestive system will make of it, lest the discovery be... painful.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Here are the ingredients of Impossible Burger, as lited on their web site.

Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil, Potato Protein, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Leghemoglobin (Soy), Yeast Extract, Salt, Konjac Gum, Xanthan Gum, Soy Protein Isolate, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Zinc, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

Okay, I've seen a lot worse.

If the opportunity arises I'll give it a shot. I'll just keep the Pepto on standby, just in case...

 Commander Cain wrote:
Yeah it is more intended for meat eaters, the one review of it from a vegetarian I found was that it was too realistic for them and grossed them out. Having never had a burger before myself I think I would be in the same boat.

https://www.cnet.com/news/impossible-burger-2-0-tasted-so-real-it-made-this-vegetarians-stomach-turn/

This rings true for me. I was contemplating trying one of these Impossible Burgers at Fat Burger, but the "bleeding" turned me off and I went with the standard veggie patty they have (Boca I think?).

A personal concern with these convincing non-meat products is the risk of a douchey employee slipping a real meat patty in to my sandwich. Some people seem to have an unnatural hate-boner for vegetarians and I wouldn't be surprised to read a headline that some dumb worker tried to bamboozle a customer. It is impressive how little people respect your diet choices and feel they know better than you about what you actually prefer. I've personally experienced more than a few people (strangers, family members and "friends") who tried to sneak meat in my meals so the more convincing the non-meat product looks the less I want to eat it.

Del Taco is also rolling out Beyond Meat tacos. I haven't tried Beyond's beef, but their chicken was a little underwhelming. Reminded me of Morningstar chicken (bleh) but with a higher price.

And, as an aside, Quorn is a great meat free product that largely has the mouth feel of real meat. My non-veg wife even likes it and says it has the most convincing texture of any of the non-meat substitutes she has tried.

I would be more concerned about a vegetarian slipping people fake burgers for their own moral good than vice versa, to be honest.

That's because any of the other non-meat substitutes have a texture that's nothing like meat at all. Quorn is kinda-sorta-maybe-if-you-squint a little bit like meat. I don't want to say that your wife is humouring you because she cares for you an Quorn isn't offensive enough to rock the boat over, but...yeah that's a common thing with veggie/non-veggie couples.

Again though as folk have said, this isn't necessarily aimed at veggies & vegans, it's aimed at folk like myself who like and want to eat meat, who are aware the meat production industry is pretty cruel and bad for the planet, and who put more value on the former than the latter even though we probably shouldn't.

Also, long-suffering non-veggie spouses

 Luciferian wrote:
I would be more concerned about a vegetarian slipping people fake burgers for their own moral good than vice versa, to be honest.

Why?

And do you really find the harm comparable at all?

It's like you saying you're more worried of Muslims sneaking halal meat instead of pork to their customers than of non-Muslims sneaking pork into food for Muslims. Even if it happens more, which I do not grant, the harm is not equal.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Luciferian wrote:
I would be more concerned about a vegetarian slipping people fake burgers for their own moral good than vice versa, to be honest.

Why?

And do you really find the harm comparable at all?

It's like you saying you're more worried of Muslims sneaking halal meat instead of pork to their customers than of non-Muslims sneaking pork into food for Muslims. Even if it happens more, which I do not grant, the harm is not equal.

That the harm is not considered equal is exactly why. Someone who did it could even consider it to be morally correct; the motivation is much greater than pulling a dumb prank to own a vegetarian. In my book, giving someone food they didn't order without their knowledge is wrong no matter who is doing it.

 Luciferian wrote:
I would be more concerned about a vegetarian slipping people fake burgers for their own moral good than vice versa, to be honest.

LOL okay. I am sure that happens all the time. Yep.

Again. Hate-boners.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Yodhrin wrote:
That's because any of the other non-meat substitutes have a texture that's nothing like meat at all. Quorn is kinda-sorta-maybe-if-you-squint a little bit like meat. I don't want to say that your wife is humouring you because she cares for you an Quorn isn't offensive enough to rock the boat over, but...yeah that's a common thing with veggie/non-veggie couples.

Again though as folk have said, this isn't necessarily aimed at veggies & vegans, it's aimed at folk like myself who like and want to eat meat, who are aware the meat production industry is pretty cruel and bad for the planet, and who put more value on the former than the latter even though we probably shouldn't.

Also, long-suffering non-veggie spouses

Oh, she is clear that Quorn is NOT like the real thing, just that it is palatable compared to the vast majority of non-meat products she has tried.

A friend of mine from the UK grew up where there is a large Quorn plant. I keep begging him to bring me some swag back whenever he visits home, but so far nothing. I'd proudly wear a Quorn shirt around town. Anyone in Middlesbrough with a Quorn hook-up shoot me a PM!

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Luciferian wrote:
I would be more concerned about a vegetarian slipping people fake burgers for their own moral good than vice versa, to be honest.

Why?

And do you really find the harm comparable at all?

It's like you saying you're more worried of Muslims sneaking halal meat instead of pork to their customers than of non-Muslims sneaking pork into food for Muslims. Even if it happens more, which I do not grant, the harm is not equal.

Supposedly sneaking pork, so long as it was unknown and unwanted doesn't go against their religion, they remain sinless.

at least according to some video about weird bullets (pork blood covered bullets)

if true then its about the same harm.