Impossible Foods Targets Convenience with New Pre-Seasoned & Family-Friendly Products

Plant-based meat leader Impossible Foods has rolled out three new products to appeal to families looking for convenient vegan options, including Disney-themed nuggets and pre-seasoned beef mince.

Impossible Foods is channelling its inner Mufasa with a new format of its vegan chicken nuggets, which are shaped as beloved characters from Disney’s The Lion King franchise.

The nuggets, which come two months before the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King, are part of a new line of products released by the Californian plant-based meat pioneer, as it looks to meet families’ need for convenient options.

These include the kid-friendly Corn Dogs, which encase its signature hot dogs wrapped in a cornmeal batter), and Meal Makers, a two-strong range of flavoured Impossible Beef.

They represent the company’s first new product announcements in a year, following the aforementioned hot dogs in December 2023. The development comes as Impossible Foods has taken up the second-highest share in US retail in the segment, according to IRI data, with its beef and nuggets among products that are the bestsellers in their respective categories.

Disney partnership running strong for Impossible Foods

The Lion King nuggets are an extension of Impossible Foods’s long-standing alliance with Disney, part of an impressive overall foodservice record for the alt-meat giant.

“We’ve been very proud to work with Disney to serve Impossible products across their properties for the past four years, so it was a natural next step to collaborate on a new offering in the grocery aisle,” said Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness.

“Our new Lion King Nuggets are a fun way for kids and adults to enjoy our delicious plant-based chicken nuggets – given we all know and love the epic movie, and, of course, the timeless soundtrack.”

They join the Wild Nuggies SKU in Impossible Foods’s shaped nugget suite, and contain 13g of protein and nearly 4g of fibre per 100g, as well as 60% less saturated fat than conventional chicken nuggets. Additionally, they require, 44% less water and 49% less land to produce, while emitting 36% fewer greenhouse gases.

Meanwhile, the Impossible Corn Dogs aim to evoke carnival nostalgia, pairing the beef hot dogs with a soft golden batter lodged upon a stick. Each corn dog has 9g of protein and 40% less saturated fat than conventional beef versions.

Impossible Foods receives rave reviews for Meal Makers

Doubling down on the need for convenience, Impossible Foods has spiced up its flagship beef SKU (literally) with the Meal Makers range. These come in Taco and Italian-Style flavours, although the exact seasonings used are under wraps for now.

Consumer testing has shown that the Italian-Style beef, which could be used to make lasagne, ravioli, homemade meatballs, and pasta sauces like bolognese, satisfied the beef cravings of almost 60% of tasters, and met or exceeded the expectations of nearly 90%.

Likewise, 90% of people also found the Taco Beef met or surpassed their expectations, while satisfying the beefy cravings of 63%. This flavour of the Meal Makers can be used in applications from nachos and enchiladas to burritos and, of course, tacos.

In June, a US survey focused on plant-based foods suggested that “convenience, visibility, and brand awareness are crucial factors” influencing purchasing decisions in grocery stores.

And a poll of 3,000 Americans in March revealed that while taste, price and health are still the most important purchase drivers for food, convenience is important to 57% of people (much higher than the 31% who cite sustainability).

Impossible Foods’s new products will come to grocery shelves in the coming weeks. The product launches follow the establishment of its Quality Meats pop-up restaurant in Chicago’s XMarket Food Hall, which is running throughout the fall.

This year, the company has also partnered with competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut, settled a lawsuit over its heme ingredient – taking over Motif Foodworks‘s business – and moved a step closer to entering the EU.