Chief operating officer David Lee says the US start-up is betting big on the versatility of the meat, which can be used in a burger, bao or dumpling.

LAS VEGAS: First Hong Kong, now Singapore - United States start-up Impossible Foods is preparing to launch in another cosmopolitan city, and it is confident its plant-based “meat” will win over the tastebuds of food-loving Singaporeans.

The Silicon Valley-based Impossible Foods had unveiled its Impossible Burger 2.0 at the ongoing CES 2019 consumer electronics trade show on Monday, claiming that it contains no gluten, no animal hormones and no antibiotics, and has “as much bioavailable iron and protein as a comparable serving of ground beef from cows”.





The company also said it plans to launch the new recipe in Singapore “later this year”, confirming rumours of its arrival that started after the 2017 investment made by Singapore investment company Temasek.



Channel NewsAsia tried the new recipe before speaking to chief operating officer David Lee on Wednesday (Jan 9) and found the slider Impossible Foods was distributing at CES 2019 to be flavourful, tastes and feels like actual beef and probably impossible to tell the difference in a blind test.



COO David Lee is confident its Impossible Burger 2.0 will be a hit among Singaporeans, having seen success in the similarly cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong.

An earlier blind taste test conducted by Channel NewsAsia using the original recipe saw three Singaporean foodies picking Impossible Foods’ version to be the one with the best taste.



VERSATILITY KEY TO WINNING SINGAPOREANS OVER



Asked what is one feature of the new recipe that will most entice Singaporeans, Mr Lee pointed to the “versatility” of its product.



“It can be used in a stir fry, a bao or spicy dumplings … (basically) fit into different cuisines,” the COO said, adding this would play well in a diverse food scene like Singapore.

Impossible Foods had earlier garnered the endorsement of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who posted on his Facebook page last September that the burger patty “tastes like meat”.







Asked about the actual launch date, Mr Lee was tight-lipped. “Soon in 2019,” he said, after much probing.



He did say that the company will work closely with notable chefs and food establishments to bring its product to market here, rather than open a standalone food outlet.

“This will help us establish a strong, credible brand,” the COO explained.



Mr Lee also said there is already a “handful” of employees in Singapore to start its local operations, and will add to the number as it grows. He added it will start small at launch and learn as they go, but will add to its ranks as it scales.



“We expect Singapore to grow rapidly,” he said.

