Though I've never tried one, I've heard the same thing.
I still wouldn't call it "The World’s First Kosher Cheeseburger." If we're going to use "-burger" only for genuine meat products (perhaps allowing the most obvious exceptions, like "veggieburger"), the Impossible Burger wouldn't count. If we are going to use "-burger" more freely for foods that aren't meat, the Impossible Burger isn't the first. It may be the closest simulation of meat so far, but I'd use a less misleading description. I don't like the food equivalent of clickbait.
I've also heard of, and heard objections about, "kosher cheeseburgers" made with meat and pareve soy cheese. For example, from 2008,
“Jewish law is very concerned for appearances,” said Rabbi Basil Herring, the executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America. “Not only should you always do the right thing, but it should be seen as the right thing.“Any Jew who keeps kosher knows a cheeseburger is not permissible. But . . . what happens if a young kid, a 10-year-old, goes in there and says, hmm, maybe cheese on a burger is OK?”
The article may have stretched the truth a little on the first ever meat substitute. But it is the first that has the meat taste that will bring many people back for more.
The company is interesting because many vegans have made it their career — and so have high level bio engineers. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I like the concept that eventually this product can under cut the meat industry and for countries without abundant ranges and plenty of water, this could solve a serious meat shortage. In fact Impossible Foods believes Asia may be their main market.
As far as kosher — I do not keep kosher but if I did I would have these things in the home. My wife and I once took a meat cheese dish to a reform temple pot luck. There I learned that although the crowd did not personally keep kosher they were very concerned with a clear violation. They said it was because some kosher Jews might be in attendance, since Reform Jews can keep kosher if that is their preference. On the other hand, the concept of not “looking” like the food is kosher while in fact the rabbinate has confirmed that it is parve — that seems to be going a bit too far. But for the above reasons, I would not choose to buck the tide on this one.
Of course there are Jewish councils who don’t really believe Reform Jews are really Jews so I will stop here.