Impossible Foods Inc. is looking to build an infrastructure to supply plant-based meat substitutes in and for China.
Pat Brown, founder and CEO of the meat analogue company, was interviewed by Bloomberg TV at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov. 6. There the Impossible Burger was being sampled to thousands of attendees.
"We want to enter the China market as soon as we possibly can," he said, noting that China is the world's biggest meat consumer, gobbling up 28% of the world's supply. It's also suffering through an epidemic of swine flu right now, which has greatly reduced pig herds. That "shows how vulnerable animal-based food production is," said Brown.
Brown said he's talking to partners and government officials and wants to set up a total supply chain, making analogue meats in China from Chinese-sourced ingredients. He also noted he wants Impossible Foods to make "all the meats China cares about," not just pork – although “We already have very good prototypes of plant-based pork,” he said.
He also noted plant-based production could help with the country's environmental problems.
