USDA bioengineered food label makes grocery store debut on GMO Impossible Burger

After years of intense debate over GMO labeling, the “Bioengineered” (or BE) labels developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are starting to appear on products sold in US grocery stores. The first item to sport the new label is Impossible Food’s ground beef substitute, which made its grocery store debut in September.

The plant-based meat alternative contains a protein derived from genetically engineered soy, a key ingredient that gives the Impossible Burger the “meaty” texture and taste of ground beef.


While it remains to be seen how consumers will react to the USDA’s BE label, Impossible Foods has enthusiastically defended its use of genetic engineering to produce meat substitutes, dedicating a section of its website to explaining the science behind its products.