News

Beyond Meat unveils the next generation of its Beyond Burger

Beyond Meat will release two new versions of its Beyond Burger: one with increased juiciness and the other with an improved nutritional profile. Both burgers will launch across the U.S. in 2021.

According to the company, these options will retain the same flavor profile of the original Beyond Burger. To differentiate the products, the new juicy patty will stand out by providing “the meatiest burger experience.” The company’s “most nutritious patty yet,” on the other hand, will have 35% less total fat and 55% less saturated fat than animal-based 80/20 beef. Beyond Meat said that in addition to an improved nutritional profile, its burgers have fewer overall calories as well as a dose of B vitamins and minerals comparable to the micronutrient profile of beef.

Plant-based meat has come onto the stage in a big way this year. Sales of this product shot up 454% above last year for the week of March 21, per IRI data analyzed by The Good Food Institute. SPINS statistics analyzed by the Plant Based Foods Association showed refrigerated plant-based meat sales jumped 241% compared to 2019 for the 16 weeks ended April 19. By summer, the category maintained a steady 113% growth rate over last year.

Beyond Meat is well-positioned to capture this growing demand for plant-based alternatives with its portfolio. This year, the company rolled out Beyond Breakfast Sausage Patties, Cookout Classic, Beyond Meatballs and Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links across 80 countries in 122,000 retail and foodservice outlets.

In addition to the popularity of its genetically engineered meat products, the company cites science to further bolster the movement to go beyond meat and increase plant-based protein consumption. In a release, Beyond Meat cited a study from Stanford University that “found improvement in key health metrics when participants replaced animal-based meat with Beyond Meat’s plant-based meat.” These key metrics included cholesterol levels, heart disease risk factors and body weight. Beyond Meat funded the study, although CNBC reported they were not involved in its design or execution.

Nevertheless, the company does have a notable impact on the environment’s health. A 2018 study from the University of Michigan found that when the original Beyond Burger is compared to a quarter-pound, standard 80/20 beef burger, it has 99% less impact on water scarcity, 93% less impact on land use, requires 46% less energy and generates 90% less greenhouse gas emissions.

While Beyond Meat looks prepared to take a bite out of the meat industry’s market share, there is still a long way to go. Dataessential data demonstrate that seven in 10 people consider themselves to be meat eaters and the animal protein market hovers at $95 billion in retail sales – a figure which dwarfs the approximate $1 billion in sales generated by plant-based meat and in which category Beyond Meat is categorized.