Impossible Foods receives NSF Certified for Sport certification for Impossible Beef and Impossible Burger Products

NSF and Impossible Foods announced in a recent press release that their Impossible Beef and Impossible Burger have been granted the designation of NSF Certified for Sport. This certification is a first in the certification program’s history for any plant-based meat or fresh food product.¹

Through obtaining this NSF certification signifies that Impossible’s plant-based beef and burger product offerings are options that can fit into athletic lifestyles. These products contain 19 grams of high-quality, complete protein around 38% of daily value (DV), 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40% less total fat, and 33% less saturated fat.¹ Impossible’s products also may provide good sources of electrolytes, such as potassium, B vitamins, and energy-producing carbohydrates.

“NSF Certified for Sport is the gold standard in sports. It’s a huge deal to have Impossible certified as the first plant-based meat available to athletes,” said Peter McGuinness, President and Chief Executive Officer at Impossible Foods.¹ “Americans are more aware than ever about the food they put in their bodies. It’s our responsibility to deliver on delicious, nutrient-dense, high-quality food, like our plant-based beef. This certification is proof that we’re holding ourselves accountable, and that athletes, dietitians and all consumers can feel good about our products.”

According to the press release, NSF is labeled as a “ global public health and safety organization that tests and certifies products to help protect athletes and consumers from potentially harmful ingredients and athletic banned substances in consumer packaged goods.”¹ The organization’s Certified for Sport program maintains a requirement involving testing for more than 290 athletic banned substances, including potentially harmful levels of specific contaminants. This can consist of lead and arsenic. Through these procedures, it ensures that all product labels are properly labeled and represent the true contents of the product accurately.

“NSF welcomes Impossible Foods to the Certified for Sport program as the first and only fresh food to reach our highest level of certification for athletes and active consumers,” said David Trosin, Senior Director, Nutrition and Wellness at NSF.¹ “NSF is committed to protecting and improving human health worldwide. By meeting our rigorous requirements for Certified for Sport, Impossible Foods is demonstrating its commitment to clean sport as well as quality, safety and good manufacturing processes for its plant-based beef products.”

NSF’s online listing of certified products and their NSF for Sport app will now be including Impossible’s plant-based beef and burger products that are offered in foodservice establishments, upon the brand receiving this certification.

The NSF Certified for Sport program is a leading certification program that is trusted by dieticians, professional athletes, and trainers. With this program, individuals can use information that is provided to help make informed decisions regarding products that are recommended and what products they consume. Professional sport organizations such as the NHL, CFL, and MLB recommend and offer products that have been certified through the Certified for Sport program and encourage players to use these kinds of certified products. Other sports organizations that recommend Certified for Sport program products include the Taylor Hooton Foundation, PGA, CPSDA, LPGA, CCES, and NFL, along with other athletic sport organizations.

“Athletes need protein, and we’ve been wanting more access to plant-based proteins like Impossible,” said Becci Roehl, veteran sports dietitian and Founding Board Member to the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association.¹ “Having their plant-based beef NSF Certified for Sport will be great for nutrition programs across professional sports, especially the MLB. It's packed with protein, it tastes like meat, and it helps our players diversify their intake. It’ll be a real value for teams.”

Reference

1. NSF and Impossible Foods announce impossible® beef and… | NSF https://www.nsf.org/news/nsf-and-impossible-foods-announce-impossible-beef-impossible-burger-first-plant-based-meats-nsf-certified-for-sport (accessed Oct 16, 2025).