MOULTRIE, Ga. – Tenth-graders AnnElyse Clements and Price Jarvis won first place at the state FFA Agriscience Fair research project competition. 

Clements and Jarvis won in the Division 4 food products and processing systems category. Their research is based on the idea of the “Impossible Whopper” from Burger King, said Jesse Boland, Colquitt County High School advisor. 

The Impossible Whopper is a plant-based meat alternative that Burger King began selling nationwide in recent years. 

“They (Clements and Jarvis) began with a taste test using plant-based meat alternatives and found that people actually preferred the plant-based taste more than the traditional meat taste,” Boland said.

During their research, Clements and Jarvis found that while many people preferred the taste of the plant-based food and its “healthier options” more appealing, they learned it was actually less beneficial than real meat.

“There’s so many things like preservatives and food additives that when you take the plant-based stuff and compare it to a real piece of beef, your body is getting less nutritional value overall,” Boland said.

Clements and Jarvis will be continuing their research and will be presenting it in the national competition in October.