Beyond Meat facts for kids
 |
|
A Beyond Meat burger
|
|
| Public | |
| Traded as |
|
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Ethan Brown |
| Headquarters | El Segundo, California, U.S. |
| Revenue |  US$343.4 million (2023) |
 US$−338.1 million (2023) |
|
|
Number of employees
|
686 (31 December 2023) |
Beyond Meat, Inc. is a company that makes plant-based foods that taste like meat. It was started in 2009 by Ethan Brown. The company's first products came out in the United States in 2012. In 2019, Beyond Meat became a public company. This means its shares can be bought and sold on a stock market. It was the first plant-based meat company to do this.
Beyond Meat is famous for its "Beyond Burger," which is a plant-based beef burger. The company also makes plant-based chicken and pork products.
Contents
The Story of Beyond Meat
How Beyond Meat Started
Ethan Brown started Beyond Meat in 2009. He wanted to help fight climate change by offering plant-based food options. Brown first talked to two professors, Fu-hung Hsieh and Harold Huff. They had been working on meatless protein for many years.
Beyond Meat used their ideas to create its first product. These were "Beyond Chicken Strips," launched in 2012 at Whole Foods stores. By 2013, they were sold all over the country. In 2014, Beyond Meat made its first plant-based beef product, called "Beyond Beef Crumbles." Since then, they have also started making plant-based pork products.
Growing the Company
From 2013 to 2016, Beyond Meat received money from many investors. These included companies like GreatPoint Ventures and Kleiner Perkins. Famous people like Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio also invested. Other celebrity and athlete investors include Jessica Chastain, Mark Rober, Snoop Dogg, and Chris Paul.
In May 2019, Beyond Meat started selling its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange. This is called an initial public offering (IPO). It was a big step for the company. On its first day, the company was worth $3.8 billion. It was one of the most successful new public companies in nearly 20 years.
Later, the company faced some challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sales to restaurants slowed down. Beyond Meat then focused more on selling its products in grocery stores. By late 2022 and 2023, the company's sales continued to decline. This led to some job reductions for about 200 employees.
Beyond Meat Products
Beyond Burger: A Plant-Based Classic
In 2014, Beyond Meat announced it was making a new product. This product would be like a beef burger. It was released in February 2015.
The Beyond Burger patty is made from ingredients like pea protein, rice protein, and red lentil protein. It also contains avocado oil, potato starch, and apple extract. The burger looks like it "bleeds" because of red beet juice.
In 2024, Beyond Meat updated its recipe for the Beyond Burger. This new version uses avocado oil instead of canola and coconut oil. It also has less salt and saturated fat.
Beyond Sausage: A Vegan Choice
In December 2017, Beyond Meat introduced a vegan option for pork sausage. It is called "Beyond Sausage." It comes in three types: "Brat" (bratwurst), "Hot Italian," and "Sweet Italian."
-
Beyond Sausage, raw
-
Beyond Sausage, cooked
Beyond Meatballs: Ready for Your Plate
"Beyond Meatballs" are plant-based alternatives to traditional meatballs. They first appeared at Subway restaurants in 2019. You could find them in the Beyond Meatball Marinara sub.
In September 2020, Beyond Meat started selling these meatballs in grocery stores across the U.S.
Beyond Mince: For UK Kitchens
In 2021, Beyond Meat expanded its products in the UK. They added 'Beyond Mince' to their range. This is a plant-based version of ground meat.
Products No Longer Available
Beyond Meat has also stopped selling some products over time.
- Chicken Strips (2012–2019): This was the company's first product, launched in 2012. It was made to be like chicken. It was made from soy, gluten-free flour, and other ingredients. While some people liked them, others felt they did not taste much like real chicken. The company stopped selling them in 2019.
- Beyond Meat Jerky (2022–2024): In March 2022, Beyond Meat launched a jerky product with PepsiCo. It was a snack that did not need to be refrigerated. It came in original, teriyaki, and "hot & spicy" flavors. Beyond Meat stopped selling it in February 2024.
Healthy Choices from Beyond Meat
The first Beyond Burger patty had 270 calories and 20 grams of protein. It also had 20 grams of fat and some salt. It had no cholesterol, unlike a beef patty. Some people called these products "ultra-processed foods" because they have many ingredients and steps to make them.
In February 2024, Beyond Meat made its beef recipe even healthier. They used fewer ingredients and reduced the salt by 20%. They also cut the saturated fat by 60%. This new recipe received special approval from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
Beyond Meat products are also certified to be free of genetically modified ingredients.
Where to Find Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat products are sold in many places.
In July 2019, Dunkin' Donuts started selling breakfast sandwiches with Beyond Meat sausage. They began in Manhattan and then expanded across the country.
In November 2020, Beyond Meat teamed up with McDonald's. They worked together to create the McPlant option. This is a plant-based burger and chicken substitute. McDonald's started testing the McPlant in some European countries in 2021.
Beyond Meat also launched a plant-based minced pork in China. In 2020, the company started selling products directly to customers online.
In January 2021, Taco Bell announced they would test a new plant-based protein with Beyond Meat. Also in January 2021, Beyond Meat and PepsiCo started a joint company. They plan to make plant-based snacks and drinks together.
In February 2021, Beyond Meat partnered with McDonald's and Yum Brands. Yum Brands owns restaurants like KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. These deals aim to bring new plant-based options to their menus. For example, there could be plant-protein pizza toppings or taco fillings.
In September 2021, Beyond Meat began selling its vegan chicken tenders in stores like Walmart.
Where Beyond Meat is Made
Beyond Meat has several factories in the United States. These include locations in Columbia, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. In 2018, they opened a second factory in Missouri. This greatly increased how much they could make. In 2020, they bought another factory in Devault, Pennsylvania.
In Europe, Beyond Meat has two facilities in the Netherlands. One is a shared factory, and the other is owned by Beyond Meat. These help distribute products across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Beyond Meat also has a large research and development (R&D) lab in El Segundo, California. This is where they create new products. In January 2021, they announced a new global headquarters in El Segundo. This new place will have much more space for their R&D team.
In China, Beyond Meat has its own factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang. This factory started making products in 2021. It is the company's first full manufacturing plant outside the U.S.
A Past Business Disagreement
In March 2019, Beyond Meat had a disagreement with a former business partner, Don Lee Farms. This was about how products were made. The two companies settled their dispute in 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Beyond Meat para niños
