The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has pushed back the deadline of a safety review of Impossible Foods Inc.’s “magic” ingredient that makes its veggie burgers taste like meat, delaying a regulatory blessing the company has long sought.
The FDA extended its review by 90 days, according to an email the agency sent to the company’s outside counsel and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The agency was previously slated to respond by April 24. No reason was given for the change.
The agency said in some instances it needs more time to finish reviews. In the case of Impossible Foods, the FDA said in a statement it intends to complete the process within the new time frame.
The 90-day extension is part of routine administrative protocol, Rachel Konrad, a spokeswoman for Impossible Foods, said by email. The company expects a positive response from the agency, she said. Meanwhile, the Impossible Burger is “totally safe to eat, and millions of people have enjoyed it,” she said.
The Redwood City, California-based company has said it’s asking the FDA to review its product’s safety in the interest of transparency, though the ingredient is already in compliance with existing regulations.
Editor’s note: Read the company’s response to a previous Bloomberg article that Impossible Foods called “misleading” for claiming the company is embroiled in a “controversy.”
Read full, original post: FDA Delays Response to Impossible Burger ‘Magic’ Ingredient
