Impossible Foods has moved another step closer to selling its products in the EU after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms ruled that its soy leghemoglobin (heme) is safe to eat.
The heme is produced using a form of modified yeast, which is cultivated in tanks using precision fermentation. It enables Impossible Foods’ plant-based meat to “bleed” and provides a meaty taste.
Impossible Foods initiated the approval process back in 2019, and the heme finally cleared its first EFSA food safety hurdle earlier this year. The ingredient is now pending final approval by the European Commission and EU Member States.
Following this publication, there will be a 30-day public consultation period where scientific comments and suggestions can be submitted and must be addressed by the EFSA and the EU Commission. The Commission will then draft approval decisions to be brought to the Standing Committees, which will discuss and vote on the draft decisions.
“Important step”
Impossible Foods has previously been involved in a legal battle with food tech company Motif Foodworks, which has also developed heme technology using yeast and precision fermentation. In 2022, Impossible sued Motif, claiming that the company had infringed on its patent. The dispute was settled in September, after the companies agreed that Impossible would acquire Motif’s heme-related business.
Throughout 2024, Impossible Foods has also been working to make plant-based meat more approachable, launching new red packaging designed to appeal to meat-eaters and a marketing campaign highlighting its mission to “solve the meat problem with more meat”.
“This week’s positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is an important step toward bringing Impossible products to Europe,” said an Impossible Foods spokesperson. “The agency’s comprehensive, scientific assessment of the safety of Soy Leghemoglobin (heme) across two applications reinforces the overall quality and safety of our food, echoing similar approvals from regulators in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. We’re excited to continue our work with EU decision-makers to bring Impossible Foods products to European consumers.”
