Meat-alternative start-up Impossible Foods has put more flesh on the bones on when it plans to launch its burger into the US retail channel as it revealed a regulatory boost for a key ingredient.

The California-based business, which also today (31 July) announced a manufacturing deal with a major player in the meat industry, said it plans to launch the Impossible Burger into its domestic retail market in September.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The burger made its debut in select restaurants in 2016 and is now on sale in around 10,000 outlets in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau.

Meanwhile, Impossible Foods said the US Food and Drug Administration had cleared the use of soy leghemoglobin as a colour additive.

The regulator had approved soy leghemoglobin as a “generally recognised as safe”, or GRAS, ingredient last year. Impossible Foods then launched a separate move to get the green light to use the ingredient as a colour additive.

“We’ve been engaging with the FDA for half a decade to ensure that we are completely compliant with all food-safety regulations—for the Impossible Burger and for future products and sales channels,” Impossible Foods chief legal officer Dana Wagner said.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Meat giant OSI Group is to manufacture the Impossible Burger for the plant-based business. Impossible Foods already makes the product at its facility in Oakland, California.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact