In the U.S., food industry representatives and consumer advocates have condemned Impossible Foods, the GMO's Impossible Burger manufacturer of hamburgers, for promoting their product at Natural Products Expo West, claiming they are involved in fraudulent marketing.

Impossible Foods served hamburgers to visitors at the world's largest natural food exhibition, but neither the company's booth nor its marketing literature mentioned that its products are genetically modified.

“We are disappointed that the company is using a natural-food show to promote its certainly unnatural product,” said Frank Lamp, vice president of communications and industry relations, United Natural Products Union.

“Placing the Impossible Burger at Natural Products Expo West raises fraudulent marketing issues. Consumers believe that “natural” means no artificial ingredients or genetically engineered ingredients were used, ”added Dana Perls, senior food and technology policy campaigner at Friends of the Earth.

The Impossible Burger is one of several new plant-based meat products - or, in this case, laboratory-created meat products that provide the appearance and taste of meat, while still claiming it is more environmentally friendly than industrial production of meat. The product is served in several thousand restaurants in the United States, including chains such as White Castle and The Cheesecake Factory (where it is falsely called "natural" on the menu).

But "Impossible Burger" is controversial, because it is made using genetic engineering. A key ingredient in a hamburger is heme, produced using genetically engineered yeast that is fermented and propagated. The gem obtained from GMOs gives the Impossible Burger its meaty taste and red bloody color.