Beyond Meat Changes Name And Focus

Edited by The VEGPRENEUR Team

Beyond Meat is dropping the “Meat” and stepping into a new era as simply Beyond, a move that signifies a shift away from mimicking animal products and toward celebrating plant protein on its own terms.

A Radical Rebrand Rooted in Simplicity

Beyond’s new direction isn’t just about ingredients—it’s about philosophy. Brown, who founded the company in 2009 and took it public in a landmark 2019 IPO, has made fava beans his primary calorie source. It’s a personal commitment to the brand’s evolution and a literal embodiment of Beyond’s clean label ambitions.

Beyond Ground is the company’s first product to ditch complex formulations in favor of radical simplicity. There are no added oils, no cholesterol, and no saturated fat. Instead, the spotlight is on clean, functional nutrition designed not just for dinner plates but for today’s anytime protein lifestyle.

Beyond the Burger

For years, Beyond and its chief competitor Impossible Foods helped define the alt protein movement, transforming the meat aisle with burgers that sizzled, bled, and tasted uncannily like beef. But as consumer excitement cooled, critiques emerged: overly processed, taste fatigue, unmet health expectations.

Beyond’s response? Don’t just imitate meat—innovate beyond it.

The company’s new strategy includes product lines that aren’t constrained by expectations of flavor replication. From veggie forward sausages to a secret post workout product with 30 grams of protein and zero fat, Brown is focused on occasions, not imitations.

Competing in the Protein Boom

Modern consumers are obsessed with protein—from waffles to chips to sodas. According to Bain and Company, 44 percent of Americans now want to increase their protein intake. The number of protein labeled food products has quadrupled in the last decade.

But as the market gets saturated with collagen powders and chicken chips, Beyond is betting on a third path: clean, thoughtful, regenerative plant protein. Products that appeal to ingredient conscious consumers tired of long labels and artificial additives.

It’s a bold stance in a noisy market—but Beyond isn’t backing down.

What we’re great at is making protein, says Brown. So instead of just replacing animal protein, let’s redefine how people consume protein altogether.

Field First, Not Lab First

Beyond’s commitment isn’t just nutritional—it’s environmental. The fava beans used in Beyond Ground come from a fifth generation family farm in North Dakota. These legumes are nitrogen fixing, fertilizer free, and regenerative by nature.

Brown’s vision? Reconnect consumers to the land, not the lab.

That field used to have cattle, he says, pointing to photos of the North Dakota farm. Now it’s fava beans. We can restore nature—but first we have to give it a chance to live again.

This regenerative lens extends to Beyond’s broader mission: pushing back against an agricultural industrial complex that, in Brown’s view, has sold consumers a nostalgic lie about meat’s “natural” origins while hiding the reality of factory farming and environmental degradation.

What This Means for the Future of Plant Based Food

Beyond’s transformation is more than a rebrand—it’s a reset for the plant based industry.

It signals a maturing category that’s moving past mimicry, embracing transparency, and leaning into nutrition forward, mission driven innovation.

For founders and operators in the VEGPRENEUR community, there’s a clear takeaway: the next wave of plant based growth will belong to companies that champion authenticity, function, and sustainability—not just novelty.

Beyond’s evolution is a bold reminder that to truly change the food system, we must let plants lead.