Nestle Will Launch Plant-Based 'Awesome Burger' In US This Year

Nestle is about to launch a competitor for the Impossible Burger, and it's called 'Awesome Burger.' The awfully similar name aside, Nestle's plant-based burger targets vegetarians, eco-conscious consumers, and anyone who wants to reduce their personal meat consumption. The product will be launched in the United States later this year, and it'll be a bit different than classic veggie meats.

Plant-based protein 'meat' products have increased in popularity as consumers increasingly gravitate toward foods that are potentially healthier and better for the environment. Traditionally speaking, 'veggie burgers' have been less than desirable to many consumers, but Impossible Foods changed things with its unique 'bleeding' Impossible Burger.

Nestle is gearing up to launch a competing product called Awesome Burger, and it's made from pea-based protein; in comparison, Impossible Burger is made from soy-based protein. The product will be sold by the company's Sweet Earth brand, which it acquired in 2017.

Nestle will offer the Awesome Burger at universities, grocery stores, and restaurants throughout the United States. Unlike the previously launched Sweet Earth veggie burgers, the new Awesome Burger is — like the Impossible Burger before it — intended to closely imitate real beef-based burgers, according to CNBC.

Competition is no doubt a good thing for the budding vegetarian and vegan food industries, which have seen demand surge over recent years. Impossible Burger recently reached a new milestone with a launch at Burger King, which plans to start offering its newly unveiled Impossible Whopper at its store across the United States.