Why It’s Impossible for PETA to Get Behind the Impossible Burger
The Bad News
Impossible Foods’ slogan, “Made from Plants,” is missing one huge and disturbing detail: “tested on animals.” That’s right, Impossible Foods, the maker of the Impossible Burger, decided voluntarily to test one of its burger ingredients—soy leghemoglobin—by feeding it to a total of 188 rats in three separate tests, killing them, and cutting them up, none of which it has ever been required to do in order to market its products. And the company did it after disregarding advice from a PETA scientist who said that there’s no need to hurt and kill animals to test its burger.
Impossible Foods’ own website touts, “Feel good about biting into an Impossible Burger,” but we can’t. How could anyone feel good about eating something from a company that chose to feed caged rats “massive doses” of a substance before they were killed and their bodies were cut up?
Rats kept in laboratories are typically confined to plastic shoebox–sized containers stacked against a wall. They’re deprived of proper social interaction, and—for good reason—they’re terrified of the humans who hurt them. Studies show that their hearts race in fear even at the sound of the laboratory’s doorknob turning.
Cows aren’t burgers, and rats aren’t tools to be used for research.
After finding out about the first experiment many months ago, PETA questioned Impossible Foods founder Patrick Brown. Although he admitted that the test didn’t have to be conducted, he refused to commit to never commissioning other tests on animals in the future. Now we’ve found out that he quietly arranged for two more after shrugging off PETA’s offer to advise the company regarding how to avoid any tests on animals.
More Bad News
Impossible Foods’ big claim to fame is that there’s heme in its burgers. Well, here’s a shocker: This heme comes from soy leghemoglobin and contains more iron than that found in the heme of a similar serving of red meat. Having too much iron in your blood can mean a greater risk of developing cancer, especially for men and postmenopausal women. There’s no need to consume heme, since the body makes its own to be used in hemoglobin—which helps transport oxygen in red blood cells.
The Impossible Burger is also more than 50 percent fat, and most of that is saturated fat. In short, the Impossible Burger is probably the unhealthiest veggie burger on the market.
The Good News
It’s not all doom and gloom. Well, it is for the Impossible Burger, but not for you. There are countless vegan burger options available in grocery stores and restaurants. The game-changing Beyond Burger, for example, is delicious and now available in countless supermarkets and eateries!
Do animals a favor—choose a vegan burger that comes from a company that does not, has not, and will not ever test on animals. Click below for helpful guides:
And remember: Being vegan doesn’t just mean not eating certain things—it’s a lifestyle. It means always choosing compassion. Cows, rats, and humans—we’re all living beings who deserve equal consideration. The folks behind the Impossible Burger may not get this, but we’re sure that you do. Click below for a free guide regarding how to save nearly 200 animals every year:
