Make-Believe Meat and The Future

At a Burger King in Richmond Heights, Montana, Mr. Walter Russell Mead ordered the "Impossible Burger" for the first time ever. Unlike all other burgers served as notorious burger joints, this impossible burger contained 0% meat. It is hard to imagine any burger served with no meat but there is a new wave in the 21st century. This impossible burger is made with no beef or meat of any kind, but contains a special ingredient that makes it hard to belief this burger doesn't have meat. This new so-called "burger" claims to include a meat like flavor to its plant-based ingredients with a chemical found in animal blood that carries the true taste of meat, called heme. Mr. Russell claimed his "impossible burger" was exactly as "meaty" and "unexciting" as the patties traditionally served at fast food burger restaurants. He also claimed that other than the "heftier" price tag, the burger is almost indistinguishable compared to the real thing served by billions around the world. Another term used for these burgers are "shamburgers". The plant based faux meat burger patties, or shamburgers are gradually making their way to the mass market as Burger King is already trying the new burger innovation in their "whoppers". Although this new burger product is innovating the meat market, the shamburger is no threat to American steakhouses. It is one thing to add heme to a mix of soy protein intended for harried consumers at a burger stand but recreating the taste and texture of a prime rib or New York strip will likely remain impossible. It is believed that if shamburgers prices fall low enough to undercut actual ground beef in the fast-food market, these heme infused patties could have greater impact on climate change than the Paris Accords. If Impossible burgers and other experimental meat alternatives take hold, this could bend the carbon curve improving the climate. Although there are postives presented with the shamburger, meat lobbyist are already pressing the European Union to ban the word "burgers" for non-meat based foods. This highlights how disruptive change does not make the world richer and greener but upends powerful interests and can throw regions and nations into turmoil. Mr. Russell claims to have three takeaways from the "Shamburger". Number one being that capitalism is our best hope to fight climate change, second being that we should accept more global turbulence as the capitalist revolution rolls on, and the final being that mustard, ketchup, and pickles will become more essential than ever as we struggle to master the challenges ahead. 

This article reached out to me as soon as I read "Make-Believe Meat". I have always been a huge fan of meat, especially red meat. I can not take a stance against the "shamburger" since I have never tried anything of the sort but  I would not want to imagine the taste of phony meat ever. I find it very interesting how advanced food production is and the effort put forward in finding alternatives. It is admirable to see the measures many are taking to influence climate change and amazing to discover this new precaution in regards to meat. If the "shamburger" were ever to take off and become successful I would imagine many marketing schemes promoting the "make-believe meat". From a marketing perspective, I believe any, and or, all fast-food burger joints should be on the look out for "shamburger" success because I would want my restaurant to be the notorious place for these so called "impossible burgers". I find this article to relate with our class in the aspect of marketing a new, unheard of product. If you can foresee this product being successful in the fast-food industry, make sure to be the first and best place containing this product.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/make-believe-meat-and-the-future-11554761392?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=12

By: Bradley McCaleb

Published : 4/9/19