16 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.  

[GMO]

I do think that Covid compressed a lot of trends very quickly.  I see a lot of carnivore crap on my video feeds nowadays.  (Why do they always seem to be averse to using a knife and fork and just gnawing on a steak?  It's weird.)  But I know some of the same people who went through vegan, high protein etc.

 

I can't say I'm immune having given up meat for a few years.  So I did taste a lot of those fake meats.  And oh my goodness' I would never have picked one by choice.  

 

But I think the fake meat market have done a huge disservice to vegan and vegetarian food which is a problem.  I would much prefer to eat lentils than some mushed up pea protein mixed with quorn BS.  Where a lot of these businesses (I think) got it wrong is rather than make vegan food delicious, it made vegan food artificial.

 

What is more interesting to me is using natural meat free alternatives either as a complete substitute to meat or to bulk out meat.  So for example, mixing in puy lentils into a beef mince ragu will lower the greenhouse gas emissions, increase fibre, increase plant intake and decrease cost.  Those are the kinds of solutions which could be great for the planet and peoples' health, not a burger made with soy cheese and a soy and pea protein burger processed to death so it tastes vaguely like meat.

[kconf]

I agree with you 100%. They had no originality. Maybe that is the reason for their downfall. 

[MDaleDDF]

South Park actually has an episode that covers this topic quite well.

The main issue may be, the product is not good....

[G M]

They were never profitable.  Convincing people to invest based on vibes will only keep a company afloat for so long, eventually you need to have a product or service people want to buy. 

 

Dropping 'meat' from their name recently makes it seem that their product failing to meet expectations occurred to them a bit late.

[TimG]

*sigh* Now branded as Beyond...But, but but they are trying to HEAL THE EARTH AND CLIMATE!!!

 

I've had some extremely delicious vegetarian food, especially Indian vegetarian. If 'Beyond' tastes like I hear it tastes, I don't know why it got so much traction. Sometimes I think investors just throw their money at buzzwords.

[GMO]

I've had some extremely delicious vegetarian food, especially Indian vegetarian. 

 

Ditto.  Cultures where vegetarian or vegan food are the norm due to cultural or religious reasons are my "go to" cuisines for delicious food without meat.  

 

The intent of "beyond" is noble, the execution is poor.  Nobody needs extracted proteins formed into meat like substances.  

 

In the UK we used to have a trend for "meat free Mondays" which has sadly died off.  Monday was never the right day in my view but that wasn't the point. The idea was that if everybody ate a little less meat, it would be better for them and the planet.  And that's my problem with the likes of "beyond".  They're making products for people who don't eat meat and will accept a lower quality product.  They're not making products which are so delicious that a meat eater might choose them.  

 

I live in an area where there are a lot of people whose families originated in India and a local restaurant has a "business lunch" of five different curries or raitas / pickles.  You can easily order and eat a vegetarian version without feeling like you've missed out.  Nowadays that I'm back to eating meat, I still will order a vegetarian version from time to time.  I'm not ordering the plant burger on a menu.  Not ever.

 

AND DON'T GET BE STARTED ON VEGAN CHEESE!  

[MDaleDDF]

*sigh* Now branded as Beyond...But, but but they are trying to HEAL THE EARTH AND CLIMATE!!!

 

I've had some extremely delicious vegetarian food, especially Indian vegetarian. If 'Beyond' tastes like I hear it tastes, I don't know why it got so much traction. Sometimes I think investors just throw their money at buzzwords.

I agree.   I did the vegetarian thing for a year once and it was fine.   I am no longer a vegetarian, but most of the things I eat are veggie based, though I enjoy some meat based protein sporadically.   Depends what I feel like cooking, I go in spurts.   On an Italian kick right now and just made some awesome eggplant rollatini....but also made some lard bread with prosciutto, capocollo, and fried pancetta.   That stuff is amazing, my kid is hooked on it.

I've only had beyond meat once, and it was not good.  

When I was in high school a girl I dated had a rule that she would not eat "anything with a face", lol.