Impossible Foods launches for retail in Singapore, Hong Kong supermarkets

CONSUMERS in Singapore and Hong Kong are now able to buy the plant-based Impossible Beef directly from grocery stores.

Silicon Valley-based Impossible Foods on Tuesday launched its flagship product for retail in the two cities as it eyes an entry into the mainland China market.

In Singapore, the plant-based meat burgers are available at nearly 100 NTUC FairPrice stores, including FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets.

They can also be ordered for home delivery from Lazada's online grocer RedMart.

The product will be sold in packages of 340 grammes, with a recommended retail price of S$16.90.

Lazada Singapore's chief retail officer and head of grocery, Richard Ruddy, said that "Impossible" is one of the most searched terms on RedMart, which means its customers "are clearly looking for plant-based meat products".

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Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, consumers can purchase the product from some 100 ParknShop outlets.

The Asia retail launch marks the first time Impossible Beef is available for home cooks to buy outside of the US.

About 550 restaurants across Singapore have already been incorporating the plant-based meat into a variety of cuisines. Sales of the product also increased by more than sixfold in Asia last year, according to Impossible Foods.

The company said a 113 gramme serving of its product, made from plants, uses 87 per cent less water and 96 per cent less land while emitting 89 per cent less greenhouse gases than ground beef from cows.

Home cooks can use the Impossible Beef in all ground-meat recipes, such as stews, minces, meatballs, dumplings and sauces.

Impossible Foods has also launched its cookbook, with sustainable plant-based recipes created for home cooks of all levels. Chefs that contributed the recipes include Singapore's Andrei Soen of sandwich shop Park Bench Deli and Ricky Leung of modern Chinese restaurant Empress.

The launch in Singapore and Hong Kong comes as the company is still awaiting approval from Chinese regulators.

Its key ingredient, heme, made from genetically modified yeast, requires approval in China, Reuters reported. "We are optimistic it could happen in the next year or even in the next several months," Impossible Foods chief executive Pat Brown said.