Why Everyone Is Talking About Starbucks' New Menu Item

Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks is making headlines once again, this time for their new menu item targeted towards the company's goals of giving customers more plant-based food options and becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Announced through a statement put out on the Starbucks' website, the chain is now offering the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich at most of their U.S. locations as part of the new Starbucks summer menu. The sandwich is created by combining aged cheddar cheese, a cage-free fried egg, and the savory Impossible Sausage, served on artisanal ciabatta bread. The company's Chief Sustainability Officer, Michael Kobori, said the new plant-based option was introduced to meet the growing demand for plant-based foods from their customers. The chain already offers popular plant-based milk alternatives such as oat, coconut, soy, and almond milk.

If you're interested in trying Starbucks' plant-based Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, the menu item can be ordered in-store or through the Starbucks App, for pick-up or delivery where available.

According to CNBC, Impossible Foods makes plant-based meat, fish, and dairy products using patented scientific methods and ingredients. The company is striving to be thought of as outside of the traditional plant-based food movement, which is considered as part of a niche industry. Impossible Foods CEO David Lee told the outlet they were trying to create a "better meat consumed by the meat eater." Lee said that nine out of 10 of Impossible Foods' customers were traditional meat eaters who were looking for alternatives to offset their animal product consumption for a variety of reasons. Impossible Foods products are available widely in grocery stores across the United States, as well as featured in a few national fast food chain Burger King's menu items.

CNBC shared a report from The Good Food Institute and Plant Based Foods Association stating that, in 2019, plant-based food and beverage consumption was up 11 percent compared to the year before, with meat alternative products representing a large portion of that growth. In the report, they stated that analysts expected to continue to see this double-digit growth rate in 2020. This is good news for vegetarians, vegans, and those just trying to cut down on their intake of animal products, as plant-based alternatives will likely become more widely available as popularity and demand spreads.

That's even easier now, especially for Starbucks fans, as these sandwiches are available now at most Starbucks locations in the U.S.