Vegan Pork is Nothing to Squeal About

Lovers of Asian food can now have their favorite pork dishes and it won’t come from pigs. That’s because Impossible Foods latest meatless product, a vegan version of ground pork, is now making its world debut in New York and Hong Kong.

The California company’s initial product, the Impossible Burger, was launched in 2016 and quickly transformed the plant-based food market. The meatless pork is just the latest in the Impossible Foods’ product line that includes vegan burgers, ground beef, sausage, and chicken nuggets.

Pork is the most commonly consumed meat and Impossible Pork is designed to be healthier and tastier than the original according to a company press release. In fact, in a blind taste test in Hong Kong, the faux pork was actually preferred 54 percent over the real deal on everything that was tested including: appearance, flavor, and texture.

According to the company, Impossible Pork – which is made primarily of soy – , is packed with 18 grams of protein and has 59 percent less fat and 0 cholesterol making it a very healthy choice.

In an interview with CNBC, Impossible Foods president Dennis Woodside said, “Pig typically isn’t regarded as a healthy product, but here you have a substitute that tastes just as good but is actually better for you.”

He stressed that, “we’re not going to launch a product unless it’s actually better than the animal analog — both in terms of taste, which [the] data proves, and in terms of nutritional value.”

The product is also very sustainable, using 81-85 percent less water, 66-82 percent less land use, and 73-77 percent less gas house emissions than pork. This gives it curb appeal for people who want to consume less meat for environmental reasons.

The meatless pork made its initial debut at New York’s Momofuku Ssam Bar at Pier 17 on September 24 and will be available at the Ruby Tuesday chain in the US, according to CNBC. It also became available to more than 100 restaurants in Hong Kong on October 4 and will be released in Singapore later in fall 2021.  

This launch comes at a time when plant-based products are gaining in popularity. This past year, over 80 vegetarian and vegan restaurants received Michelin stars, something that was previously unheard of. Whether people give up meat for ethical, health, or environmental reasons, Impossible pork is sure to be a hit and that’s nothing to squeal about.