In ongoing beef over alternative ‘meat’ products, Boston’s Motif goes after Impossible Foods’ patent

The two companies have been sparring over the process used to make plant-based products.

Plant-based Impossible burgers for sale in a supermarket.Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

The beef between Motif FoodWorks, a Boston company developing plant-based foods and ingredients, and Impossible Foods continues.

One month after being sued by Impossible Foods for allegedly copying its process for making alternative “meat” products, Motif is trying to get its competitor’s patent revoked.

Motif said the patent at the center of the legal dispute should have never been issued. The company filed a petition on Wednesday, asking the US Patent and Trademark Office to review a patent it awarded Impossible Foods related to so-called beef replicas.

The move comes as Impossible Foods is seeking money for damages and a court order to halt sales of Motif’s plant-based meat product, which has been commercially available since December. Both companies make a heme-based product intended to mimic the taste and aroma of real meat.

A spokesperson for Impossible Foods said Motif’s latest effort is a “baseless and meritless attempt to distract from the fact that they have infringed on our patent and are unlawfully using our technology to build their business.”

“We’re confident in the strength of our patent and that we will prevail both in the District Court and before the Patent Office,” the spokesperson said.