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Beyond Meat is embarking on its next phase of innovation, marked by a shift away from imitation and the debut of a new, plant-forward product line showcasing the brand’s shortest ingredients label yet.
The company, established in 2009 by founder, president and CEO Ethan Brown, is one of the plant-based meat alternative category’s most prominent players.
While it has built its brand on producing hyper-realistic, juicy and ‘bleeding’ vegan burgers that mimic their animal-based counterparts, Beyond Meat has expanded its portfolio to focus more on wholesome and natural plant ingredients in recent years.
Now, the brand has announced the upcoming launch of its latest innovation: Beyond Ground. Rather than imitating beef, pork or poultry specifically, the ambiguous offering is described as ‘Simply Beyond’ – with a neutral flavour serving as a ‘blank canvas’ for consumers to season as they see fit.
The product will also be available in three pre-seasoned varieties: Tuscan Tomato, Chipotle Pineapple and Korean BBQ.
It offers 27g of protein, 4g of fibre and 140 kcal per serving, and is made with just four ingredients, designed to address rising demand for alternative protein products with cleaner labels and enhanced nutritional profiles.
The four simple ingredients used to create the product are fava bean protein, water, potato protein and psyllium husk, a type of dietary fibre used as a binder and thickening agent.
The clean label shift
Beyond has been moving toward cleaner labels and revamped nutrition since the unveiling of its ‘Beyond IV’ platform in 2024, showcasing reformulated products that aimed to meet rigorous health and nutrition standards as well as providing a satisfying taste experience.
Its revamped Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, the result of a multi-year research effort in collaboration with medical and nutrition experts, provide 21g of protein per serving (more than 80/20 beef) from peas, brown rice, red lentils and fava beans.
The reformulated products incorporate avocado oil, enabling the brand to reduce saturated fat content by 60% while maintaining a juicy texture. Additionally, the products contain 20% less sodium than their previous versions.
The products received certifications from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, confirming they adhere to evidence-based nutritional guidelines and heart health standards.
Later in 2024, a new product line, Beyond Sun Sausage, followed – a plant-forward option made with wholesome vegetable ingredients like spinach, bell peppers and yellow peas, as well as brown rice, red lentils and fava beans.
The sausages were introduced in Cajun, Pesto and Pineapple Jalapeño varieties, designed to offer a ‘distinct and unique’ protein option rather than replicating specific meat products.
And this month, the company’s new Beyond Steak Filet – made from mycelium, fava protein and avocado oil – hit the foodservice market in the US through collaborations with several restaurant and bar partners.
The product still aims to emulate traditional steak, complete with the ‘bleeding’ plant-based juices effect, but its recipe is ‘rooted in plants’ and continues the company’s wholesome ingredient focus.
A changing industry
This shift away from meat mimicking has reportedly led to a complete overhaul for Beyond Meat, with US media outlet Fast Company stating that the imminent Beyond Ground launch marks a complete removal of the word ‘meat’ from its name in line with a major rebrand, said to have been revealed in an interview with CEO Brown.
Brown also hinted at future product launches in additional subcategories, such as ‘post-workout’ and zero-fat products targeting the macronutrient-conscious.
The pivot follows declining sales for Beyond Meat, which faced disappointing Q1 financial results this year, including a record low stock price. This reflects the ongoing, wider challenges faced by the plant-based food and beverage industry, which has seen growth slow in recent years following its unprecedented, pre-pandemic boom.
While this is likely to be due to several factors, one challenge that continues to stir up discussion within the sector is consumer perceptions of plant-based meat alternatives.
As awareness of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has grown, the meat alternatives category has come under increased scrutiny over the presence of artificial additives and heavy processing methods used to create more ‘realistic’ products.
However, many industry players have hit back against the idea that processing alone can be linked to poor health outcomes, pointing instead to the presence of unbalanced nutritional profiles commonly found in UPFs, including high saturated fat and salt content.
Many brands are now responding to the backlash by centring their efforts on developing meat alternatives that showcase shorter, simpler labels with recognisable ingredients and no artificial additives. Start-ups such as Planted and Swap are innovating within this space, aiming to tackle these negative perceptions of plant-based meat products.