FDA authorizes soy leghemoglobin as a color additive

“We are in the midst of a revolution in food technology that in the next ten years will likely lead to more innovations in food and ingredient production than there have been in the past half-century.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the color additive regulations to provide for the safe use of soy leg-hemoglobin as a color additive in ground beef analogue products (e.g., “veggie” burgers). The FDA is taking this action in response to a color additive petition submitted by Impossible Foods, Inc. requesting FDA to issue a regulation listing the use of soy leg-hemoglobin as a color additive in food.               

“As these new products and ingredient sources come to the market, the FDA has a responsibility to provide the appropriate regulatory oversight to protect public health by ensuring that these new foods and food ingredients are safe.

“As part of these efforts, the FDA has approved Impossible Foods’ color additive petition for the use of soy leg-hemoglobin in alternative, non-animal protein sources, like vegetable burgers.

“After a thorough review of available scientific information, the FDA has concluded that this use is safe. This action will allow the use of soy leg-hemoglobin in uncooked beef analog products sold directly to consumers, such as in food retail settings.

The regulatory body has reviewed all the information and data submitted by impossible foods, in addition to other outside information and concluded that there is a reasonable level of certainty the use of soy leg-hemoglobin as a color additive will cause no harm.

Impossible foods use genetically engineered yeast to harvest leg-hemoglobin at an industrial scale. The company says that this ingredient is what gives the burgers a specifically meaty flavor.