Impossible burgers come to burger king

[Tomas]

Hi Tomas , yes , of course l would have to agree that l would rather people eat pretend flesh , rather than real flesh .. Ditto milk .. It's amazing how many people don't know how cruel the milk industry is - they seem to have a very romantic view of dairy farms ..
However , l do not believe there is any way scientists can tell if genetically -engineering food is healthy , even with current technology .. I think this is a bit too trusting , especially considering that often ill-effects from products don't become apparent until some years later ..
Remember , where there is profit to be had , unfortunately facts and figures are often manipulated . . After all , the big drug companies are known for distorting and even hiding the truth about drugs - so why would scientifically modified "food" be any different ?

Please be very wary of anything coming out of a lab - food or drugs - does anyone else in here remember thalidomide ?
There are many , many examples of products on the market that are very dubious ..

Wishing you all good health and quality lives ... xx

You might be right about genetically engineered food. I haven't really done any homework on it. Luckily for me I personally don't have any interest in a product that looks like and wants to replace meat but for those who do want this the question will become: Am I willing to take the risk before being certain if there are risks?

Regretfully this will probably deter many that would want to transition.

 

[Lou]

Please be very wary of anything coming out of a lab - food or drugs - does anyone else in here remember thalidomide ?
There are many , many examples of products on the market that are very dubious ..

Wishing you all good health and quality lives ... xx

In principle, I agree with you.

I know the UK really got screwed with the thalidomide cover up. Did Australia? Even so, I don't think trotting out a 6o-year-old tragedy is fair to the drug companies.

the general rule is don't paint with too broad a brush. I too am wary of GMOs. but they do benefit people. Many diabetics are alive today because of artificially created insulin. Artificially created insulin has been around since 1980. I think it's fair to say its got a proven track record. (Although it would have been a better idea to put our money into preventing diabetes than in treating it. But there just isn't as much money making opportunity in telling people to eat healthy and get exercise)

being wary of artificially created plant-based Heme is a good idea. It's pretty new and it's pretty unnecessary (compared to insulin). But I don't think you should draw too many parallels with thalidomide.

besides, the Impossible Burger is very popular among non-vegans. Think of all the cow's lives it's saving.

 

[amberfunk]

My partner just looked up this " lab-enabled plant -based protein " burger ...

So , it is a " genetically-engineered heme , from soy and vegetable , which makes it taste like cow and will even "bleed" when you bite into it " ... ! Oh my goodness - l really don't know any vegans who would want that .. Perhaps there are vegans who are only vegan for health reasons , and so they wouldn't care ? I can't think of any other reason why vegans would want their food to taste like animal flesh , or pretend to "bleed" ..

Wow - the modern world eh ? Where food no longer resembles anything close to natural or authentic .
To this little vegan , there is nothing natural or authentic about eating animals , or pretend animals ..

To those who would try this product - be very careful about consuming anything with the word "engineered" in the processing .. How much of a science - experiment do you feel like being ?

Blessings to all .. xo

Vegetables and fruits that we know nowadays are also genetically modified. Originally all apples were really small and now they are much larger. You would really have to go out of your way to find anything at this point that hasn't been genetically modified.

 

[Lou]

Vegetables and fruits that we know nowadays are also genetically modified. Originally all apples were really small and now they are much larger. You would really have to go out of your way to find anything at this point that hasn't been genetically modified.

Sort of a popular misunderstanding.
There are Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) also called genetically engineered and there are selectively bred organisms.

There are very few crops that are GMOs. Soybeans, Maize, cotton, Canola are the big 4. And in fact, most of the GMOs (in the US and the EU) are just used for animal feed. Most of the GMOs are things like yeast and bacteria that are used to produce medicine. Like insulin.

In order to create a GMO the genes of one species is implanted into another species. Like putting a gene from a bacteria into a plant.

Selectively bred crops are like all crops. The corn plant that is cultivated today looks nothing like its ancestor that some American Indian started messing around with thousands of years ago. I don't remember the science but there is something about corn that makes it really easy to breed. Wheat is another great example. If you ever want to read some really fascinating stuff check out the story of semi dwarf wheat and its creation. It is maybe Man's greatest innovation. Billions of people would have starved if not for its creation.

The science of selectively breeding crops is just amazing. Corn and wheat are the best stories. As you mentioned apples are another good story. Yep, the original apple was hard and small and sour. Johnny Appleseed spread those all over the US. Mostly because they were good for making apple mash. Corn also got its start with white Americans cause it was good for making corn mash. This probably says something about the motivations of Americans. Especially when you see how much selective breeding has changed marijuana.

Another great story about selective breeding is found in the Tulip. And you can watch a terific documentary on Tulips, marijuana, apples and potatoes called the Botany of Desire (based on the book with the same name by Michael Pollan)

Selective breeding does not always have a happy ending.

 

[Lou]

I don't know why i have so much trouble with images. Just ignore the others. I can't seem to delete them.

This is the one I wanted.

 

[TofuRobot]

I suppose that they wouldn't start selling it if it contains risks.

Well, they sell processed meat, which is a known carcinogen, so...

 

[TofuRobot]

Sort of a popular misunderstanding.
There are Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) also called genetically engineered and there are selectively bred organisms.

There are very few crops that are GMOs. Soybeans, Maize, cotton, Canola are the big 4. And in fact, most of the GMOs (in the US and the EU) are just used for animal feed. Most of the GMOs are things like yeast and bacteria that are used to produce medicine. Like insulin.

In order to create a GMO the genes of one species is implanted into another species. Like putting a gene from a bacteria into a plant.

Selectively bred crops are like all crops. The corn plant that is cultivated today looks nothing like its ancestor that some American Indian started messing around with thousands of years ago. I don't remember the science but there is something about corn that makes it really easy to breed. Wheat is another great example. If you ever want to read some really fascinating stuff check out the story of semi dwarf wheat and its creation. It is maybe Man's greatest innovation. Billions of people would have starved if not for its creation.

The science of selectively breeding crops is just amazing. Corn and wheat are the best stories. As you mentioned apples are another good story. Yep, the original apple was hard and small and sour. Johnny Appleseed spread those all over the US. Mostly because they were good for making apple mash. Corn also got its start with white Americans cause it was good for making corn mash. This probably says something about the motivations of Americans. Especially when you see how much selective breeding has changed marijuana.

Another great story about selective breeding is found in the Tulip. And you can watch a terific documentary on Tulips, marijuana, apples and potatoes called the Botany of Desire (based on the book with the same name by Michael Pollan)

Selective breeding does not always have a happy ending.

Agreed - there is a difference between genetically-modified and hybrid. A lot of people conflate the two.

 

[Lou]

Agreed - there is a difference between genetically-modified and hybrid. A lot of people conflate the two.

Hybrid is actually a third thing. or a subset. Its when you have two different kinds of organisms interbreeding. A hybrid can be created with human intervention. That is the most likely. But they do occur in nature naturally without human intervention on occasion. I tried to find some good examples with Google but none of them were that good. One that I remember from one of Stephen Gould's books is two snail populations get separated by geography. Over thousand or maybe millions of years they become distinct species. but then the barrier is removed. And its found they can interbreed. The offspring are hybrids.

Hybrids sometimes exhibit hybrid vigor. the offspring are somehow better than either of the two parents. However, sometimes hybrids don't breed true. A lot of our crops are hybrids. Corn is a good example. Some of the most popular strains of corn are hybrids. And the companies take full advantage of the fact that corn hybrids don't breed true. So you have to keep going back to the seed company and buying seed for your corn.

 

[TofuRobot]

@Lou - So what, then, is a Honeycrisp apple? I thought it was a hybrid but now I'm not so sure...

 

[Lou]

Honeycrisp is a hybrid.
I just read up a little on it and it seems its "parentage" is more than a little confusing and maybe even a bit mysterious.

A US patent states that it is a cross between the 'Macoun' and 'Honeygold' apples. But maybe not. Genetic fingerprinting makes it look like neither of these apples is its parents.

and like many other hybrids, the Honeycrisp does not breed true. the flowers of Honeycrisp are sterile so a third species has to be used to make seeds. than those seeds won't generate Honeycrisps but some other hybrid. So I'm not sure where you actually get Honeycrisp seeds from. But in order to get Honeycrisp trees, you have to resort to grafting. Most of the fruits and nuts at the grocery store are hybrids and most of them come from trees that are grafted.

Some of these hybrids are pretty obvious - like plucots. But what is less obvious or at least not well known is that all the apples in the grocery store are not only hybrids. but they are hybrids of hybrids of hybrids. I may have to look up in The Botany of Desire to see if anyone knows what is the original apple. Probably the crabapple.

I just learned while looking some of this stuff up that most apples are "extreme heterozygotes". What I think that means is that if you take an apple from the grocery store and plant the seeds you will not get the results you intended. So what growers do is plant a bunch of apple trees. Then they take buds off the trees they want to grow and graft them to the bole of the apple trees. You can propagate thousands of Honeycrisps from just one tree.

If you ever shopped for a fruit tree or taken a closer look at an orchard as you drove by you probably were already aware of this at least on a lower level.

But to get back selective breeding. Not all selective breeding involves hybridization. and not all hybrids are the product of selective breeding. but when you get to the grocery store the products are usually the result of selective breeding AND hybridization.


https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secrets-of-hybrid-fruit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeycrisp#cite_note-uspto-1
https://permies.com/t/10469/Apples-seeds

 

[Forest Nymph]

And now the Washington Post has the story too. The Post is behind a paywall - and I've already used up my allotment of free articles. but others might be able to check it out. The one interesting thing about the Post article is that bring up the McDonalds question, too.

So it's not an April Fool's prank. but maybe this is

GWYNETH PALTROW: “I INVENTED VEGANISM."

The actress and entrepreneur—who recently made headlines when she announced that she invented yoga—went on a late-night tirade at a Los Angeles restaurant claiming that veganism was her idea, too.​

Gwyneth Paltrow: “I Invented Veganism.”

Somebody needs to stop Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

[Tomas]

Somebody needs to stop Gwyneth Paltrow.

Gwyneth is the greatest comedian of our time !
I've even heard she has invented comedy.

 

[Lou]

So. It turns out that the Impossible Whopper trial was a success and BK is planning to go nationwide this year.

Burger King plans to roll out Impossible Whopper across the United States

Burger King's test of a vegetarian version of its signature Whopper was such a success, the chain is planning to roll the Impossible Whopper out nationally this year.

www.cnn.com

I did a little back of the napkin math, and assuming that BK sells 10% less real whoppers, it will result in reducing the demand for cows by 10,000 cows. This is such a small percentage of cows it is almost insignificant. But it is a start, and a step in the right direction.

BTW, I'm not that confident in my math. I'm going to be looking for some better guesses. And maybe that 10% assumption is overly pessimistic.

Oh, and next time a Republican says that the New Green Deal is coming for your burgers, we can tell them they get to keep their Impossible Whoppers.

 

[Lou]

Maybe I need to boost those numbers up.

There’s an Impossible Burger 2.0 Shortage and Restaurants Are Losing Out - Eater

www.eater.com

??

 

[Lou]

Burger King confuses me or is confused.

I just read they are introducing two new Impossible Whoppers in the US.

The Impossible King has American cheese. so its at least Vegetarian.

But the Southwest Bacon Impossible Whopper has bacon. Whattheheck is that?

The Impossible King: Featuring a flame-grilled Impossible patty made from plants topped with American cheese, sliced white onions, crunchy pickles, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted sesame seed bun.​

​

The Southwest Bacon Impossible Whopper: Featuring a flame-grilled Impossible patty made from plants with avocado spread, bacon, seasoned tortilla strips, American cheese, lettuce, sliced white onions, tomatoes, and creamy spicy sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun.​

​

Burger King Launches Two New Impossible Burgers in USA - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

vegconomist.com

 

[shyvas]

Burger King confuses me or is confused.

I just read they are introducing two new Impossible Whoppers in the US.

The Impossible King has American cheese. so its at least Vegetarian.

But the Southwest Bacon Impossible Whopper has bacon. Whattheheck is that?

The Impossible King: Featuring a flame-grilled Impossible patty made from plants topped with American cheese, sliced white onions, crunchy pickles, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted sesame seed bun.​

​

The Southwest Bacon Impossible Whopper: Featuring a flame-grilled Impossible patty made from plants with avocado spread, bacon, seasoned tortilla strips, American cheese, lettuce, sliced white onions, tomatoes, and creamy spicy sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun.​

​

Burger King Launches Two New Impossible Burgers in USA - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

vegconomist.com

I don't see anything confusing with serving bacon with an Impossible whopper as Burger King is an omni fast food chain. They are just catering to flexitarians not vegans. Moreover, unless their policy has changed, their pb burgers are cooked on the same grill as their meat ones.

This New Burger King Impossible Burger Comes With Real Bacon

www.tastingtable.com

 

[Lou]

The food contamination thing has never been an issue for me. I've always made the question, does it help or harm animals, the central point. A little beef grease on my impossible whopper doesn't harm animals. Not sure it affects the taste at all - the impossible burger already tastes a lot like beef.

I can understand catering to vegetarian tastes who would like a slice of cheese.
And I can understand catering to flexatarian tastes who don't mind a little mayo.
but having bacon on an impossible burger is something I don't understand. Might as well just have a bacon cheese burger.

 

[Tom L.]

Honeycrisp is a hybrid.
I just read up a little on it and it seems its "parentage" is more than a little confusing and maybe even a bit mysterious.

A US patent states that it is a cross between the 'Macoun' and 'Honeygold' apples. But maybe not. Genetic fingerprinting makes it look like neither of these apples is its parents.

and like many other hybrids, the Honeycrisp does not breed true. the flowers of Honeycrisp are sterile so a third species has to be used to make seeds. than those seeds won't generate Honeycrisps but some other hybrid. So I'm not sure where you actually get Honeycrisp seeds from. But in order to get Honeycrisp trees, you have to resort to grafting. Most of the fruits and nuts at the grocery store are hybrids and most of them come from trees that are grafted.

Some of these hybrids are pretty obvious - like plucots. But what is less obvious or at least not well known is that all the apples in the grocery store are not only hybrids. but they are hybrids of hybrids of hybrids. I may have to look up in The Botany of Desire to see if anyone knows what is the original apple. Probably the crabapple.

I just learned while looking some of this stuff up that most apples are "extreme heterozygotes". What I think that means is that if you take an apple from the grocery store and plant the seeds you will not get the results you intended. So what growers do is plant a bunch of apple trees. Then they take buds off the trees they want to grow and graft them to the bole of the apple trees. You can propagate thousands of Honeycrisps from just one tree.

If you ever shopped for a fruit tree or taken a closer look at an orchard as you drove by you probably were already aware of this at least on a lower level.

But to get back selective breeding. Not all selective breeding involves hybridization. and not all hybrids are the product of selective breeding. but when you get to the grocery store the products are usually the result of selective breeding AND hybridization.


The Secrets of Hybrid Fruit
Honeycrisp - Wikipedia
Apples from seeds? (plants forum at permies)

I think corn also has a complex history, dating back I don't know how many millenia to when Native Americans first started growing it. I think they finally found a wild plant which might have been the ancestor of corn- or maybe they just tried to figure out what that organism probably looked like. I found an article about this in "Science" online, but I didn't link to it because I wasn't sure about copyright restrictions to posting links.

 

[Lou]

I think corn also has a complex history, dating back I don't know how many millenia to when Native Americans first started growing it. I think they finally found a wild plant which might have been the ancestor of corn- or maybe they just tried to figure out what that organism probably looked like. I found an article about this in "Science" online, but I didn't link to it because I wasn't sure about copyright restrictions to posting links.

Corn may be a terrible example. Some corn are hybrids. Some are GMOs. and no one really knows the origin story of corn except that it dates back ten thousand years.

 

[Lou]

I am a creature of habit which usually is a good thing.

I go hiking every Wednesday. but about 2 months ago I discovered that I could order a $3 Impossible Whopper on my phone and just drive thru and pick it up. Its only $3 on Wednesdays and only if ordered on a phone

So now almost every time I drive home from my hike I order a IW. And I take it home and eat it. I don't get the fries or the drink but I noticed today that you can get the IW, medium fries and a medium coke for $7. So I got that. but I won't get that again. A medium fries is too much for me. And the medium coke is too watery.

A $3 burger still seems like a good deal, but I'm getting over it and will stop doing that Every Wednesday.