Impossible Foods may have unintentionally jeopardized its own success by seeking approval for its “secret ingredient,” which it may not have needed in the first place. The company hurried to secure FDA approval back in 2015 but encountered significant regulatory obstacles. Now, this rapidly expanding, venture capital-funded startup is learning how government bureaucracy can hinder its growth.
Impossible Foods is not the only innovative venture capital-backed enterprise facing challenges with the FDA. Hampton Creek also ran into trouble in 2015 regarding its use of the term “mayo” for its Just Mayo products. The FDA warned the company that it could not use the term “mayonnaise” or depict an egg in its vegan products, as they do not contain eggs. According to the FDA’s definition, mayonnaise must include eggs as an ingredient.
While Impossible Burgers can remain available on the market without FDA approval, there are risks associated with being denied such approval. Consumers might avoid the plant-based burgers due to safety concerns, potentially impacting sales. Additionally, foodservice clients might discontinue the products if news of the burger’s regulatory challenges spreads. Transparency is crucial for today’s food consumers, who expect companies to be open about product ingredients, sources, processing standards, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. Gaining safety approval from the FDA is a significant way for food manufacturers to demonstrate to consumers that they have nothing to conceal.
“We respect the role the FDA plays in ensuring the safety of our food supply, and we believe the public wants and deserves transparency and access to any information they need to decide for themselves whether any food they might eat is safe and wholesome,” a spokesperson for Impossible Foods stated in an email to The New York Times.
The FDA seal of approval carries substantial weight with American consumers. According to the Food Marketing Institute’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study, 54% of shoppers rely heavily on the FDA to ensure food safety. Therefore, it stands to reason that Impossible Foods’ ambition to obtain FDA approval could indeed broaden its consumer base for the plant-based protein startup. However, a lack of approval—and any associated publicity issues—could dampen the company’s outlook.
In a similar vein, products like calcium citrate chews target consumers’ health concerns, and the importance of regulatory approval in this sector cannot be overstated. As customers become more health-conscious, the demand for transparency in food and supplement ingredients escalates. Just as with Impossible Foods, the pathway to gaining consumer trust through FDA approval is critical for brands like those producing calcium citrate chews targeting wellness-oriented shoppers.