Meat Industry Will Be Obsolete in 15 Years Says Impossible Foods CEO

According to the chief executive of Impossible Foods, the meat industry will be obsolete by 2035.

CEO Patrick Brown told CNBC’s Jim Cramer recently, “From a nutritional standpoint our products match the protein quality and content of the animal products that they replace” and “ours is a clear winner from a health and nutrition standpoint.”

In the “Mad Money” interview he said, “This is why I think people are increasingly aware plant-based products are going to completely replace the animal-based products in the food world within the next 15 years.”

“That’s our mission. That transformation is inevitable,” he added.

According to Brown, the animal-based market will be obsolete within the next two decades.

On Tuesday, the company, ranks No. 49 on CNBC’s 2020 Disruptor 50 list, had announced that it signed a partnership with coffee giant Starbucks to carry the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich at most of the international coffee chain’s U.S. locations.

“Starbucks was one of our — if not the top — targeted outlet, just because of the power of their brand and their ubiquity,” he said. “It’s just a great opportunity for exposure and trial.”

The Impossible Breakfast Sandwich is a plant-based sausage topped with a cage-free fried egg and aged cheddar cheese on artisanal ciabatta bread. According to Brown, one-third of the U.S. population ages 18-29 visit a Starbucks restaurant at least once a month and the deal will help the company tap into the young adult demographic.

“It’s huge for us. It’s by far — in terms of the number of outlets — by far the biggest launch we’ve had and, of course, the opportunity to partner with an iconic global brand like Starbucks is probably equally important in just raising awareness and interest and trial in consumers,” said the CEO.

Michael Kobori, Starbucks’ chief sustainability officer, said the addition of the Impossible Foods sandwich would help the coffee giant “meet the growing customer-interest in plant-based options.”

Patrick Brown, Impossible Foods’ founder and CEO, said Starbucks’ “commitment to add more plant-based ingredients to its menu is a new benchmark for large corporations.”