【Swipe】

The SwipeImpossible Burger will finally hit grocery store shelves on Friday.

Starting Sept. 20, the national Impossible Burger rollout begins in Southern California. The plant-based burger will be available at 27 Gelson's locations.

The move comes after the FDA OKed Impossible Foods' use of soy leghemoglobin in August, allowing it to sell Impossible Burgers raw. The heme molecule is, among other things, what gives meat its aroma and flavor. Soy leghemoglobin is Impossible Foods' plant-based version of this molecule, replicating that aroma and flavor without the need for, you know, meat.

The company posted a lengthy and interesting (really!) blog about heme, soy leghemoglobin, and how it all factors into their mission.

While available at restaurants, the Impossible Burger got a huge publicity boost recently thanks to a deal with Burger King for the Impossible Whopper. And now SoCal consumers can see what the fuss is about.

But never fear, everyone else: TechCrunch reports the brand will expand to grocery stores nationwide through the end of the year, and an unnamed East Coast chain is next.

The company's CFO, David Lee, told CNET that the company is being careful and calculated in its release plan: "We want to make sure we do this right. So we're focusing on a smaller, high-quality retailer, just like we started with smaller restaurants." 

Now, along with Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger, vegetarians and curious carnivores can buy several plant-based burger options at their local grocery store.

If you live outside SoCal but want to check out the Impossible Burger for yourself or just keep tabs on the nationwide release, keep your eyes peeled on the brand's locator page right here.

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