9 replies to this topic

[kconf]

Hey all,

This is not a food safety topic. But, how did "Beyond Meat" collapse so miserably? They started with a solid market back in 2020-2021 and now 4 years later it's dusted. What happened?  

[kfromNE]

I believe the market isn't there.  

The individual who go for eating organic, GMO, etc. - this is lab made item. They go for the grass fed, free range. 

Individuals who are vegan, vegetarian - won't eat it either. 

 

Maybe those who worry about carbon foot print. Or the foodie who will try it once to say they did it. 

 

Plus the cost is high to buy the items vs buying real meat. As we all know - cost can deter most people. 

[TimG]

I didn't know they collapsed.. Still see their products for sale here stateside.

[kconf]

Haha I meant their stocks crashed. They are still in business. 

[jfrey123]

I was never on board with the amount of artificial junk they have in that "meat".  There's already way too much artificial crud in all of the UHPF, between seed oils and other various crap that shouldn't be called food to begin with, I keep moving towards natural as much as I can.  If I'm buying bread or crackers, I focus on being able to actually read and understand the ingredient lists.

[TimG]

I kind of never thought the market would support them, but that's just based off my little circle of folks. I know ONE vegan, and I remember them complaining about beyond meat and that it wasn't vegan (I don't know if that's true, mainly because I don't care to check).

Myself, I'm currently enjoying a snack baggie of cold steak tips for lunch. I'm down with the real meats!

[kconf]

Interesting points. I thought they had an edge globally, especially for being one of the only few ones in industry with this concept. Maybe their market was overvalued at the time. I am just having hard time understanding what could have gone wrong to go from $200/stock to $2.  

[GMO]

Three competing trends globally; increase in veganism, increase in concern about UPFs, increase in interest in high protein.

 

Veganism peaked as UPF concern continues to increase.  High protein is also peaking but tends to be driven by men and menopausal women neither of whom were probably big consumers of fake meats.

 

So the non natural "seeming" meat substitutes started to bomb.  We've had MANY closures of businesses selling stuff like this in the UK and from talking to many vegetarians they got mightily p---ed off as well when it was at their height that the only vegetarian option on a menu became a vegan burger with fake meat and fake cheese when they'd been better served with more creative and natural options years before.

 

Whatever your views on UPFs, nearly all meat substitutes are pretty much lab kits more than they're food when you watch what goes in.  I'm unsurprised.  And did you ever taste them?  I much preferred the old Burger King spicy beanburger than any of that fake meat rubbish.  McDs does a veggie wrap in the UK with vegetable nuggets which aren't bad.  Much better than the McPlant (which is a beyond meat burger and still on the menu here.)  At one point they couldn't keep up demand from McDs.  Doubt that's the case now but that probably didn't help their business either.

[SQFconsultant]

The FISH stinks from the head down.

 

Another cabal company (aka - K-Mafia) with heavy ties to VERY NON organic companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, ADM, etc.

 

Look, they started off very top heavy with BIG FOOD, BIG AG AND BIG CHEMICAL/PHARMA) ALUMNI in power positions/board members.

 

They go on to put beet juice in their burgers to mimic red blood -  As if the Vegan and Vegetarian community (like our family) wants to be reminded of blood dripping out of dead-flesh burgers.

 

Asked to tell us what they mean by Natural flavors and they won't say a word - in doing so, they say a lot.

 

I would not be surprised to see RICO's with this outfit.

[G M]

It was built on the tech-hype model of business.  There is a lot of downturn and consolidation in that sector now that people are throwing less investor money at it.  Few of these companies seem to actually be profitable.

 

Lots of people threw investment money at it, or sold the idea, for philosophical or social hype reasoning.  Sub-par flavor and texture at a premium price.  You can get people to make a small number of purchases for those social/philosophical hyped reasons, but when it comes to food the vast majority will not repeatedly purchase something that is unpleasant or has obvious sensory inferiority.

 

I'm always confused about who these products are meant to be marketed to.