Just as a small army of competitors begins to hit the marketplace with their own Plant-based Meat Substitutes, the first brand to bring out such a product is releasing what is being called ‘Version 2.0’. And the folks behind Beyond Meat say this is just an incremental upgrade…
The inside story on Beyond Meat 2.0…
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- The product now has marbling (made from Cocoa Butter and Coconut Oil) designed to melt and tenderize like traditional Ground Beef
- Meatier taste and texture are achieved using a blend of Pea, Mung Bean and Rice proteins that provide a more fibrous texture
- That mixture of Beans and Rice provides a complete dietary Protein source – crucial for proper nutrition, and
- The Beyond Burger remains one of only a few plant-based Meat Patties that’s made without Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Soy or Gluten.
The new Beyond Meat formulation hit restaurants and supermarkets this past week (June 10) and is already being served by A&W, the premiere quick service resto chain purveyor of the product.
Just the beginning of an ongoing evolution
“Consistent with the brand’s approach to innovation that works to close the gaps between its plant-based meats and their animal protein equivalents through rapid and relentless innovation, the latest version of the Beyond Burger patty is the brand’s next step forward in its vision of building the Future of Protein®,” the media release crows.
“The new Beyond Burger is the next step in our journey toward building meat directly from plants that delivers a consumer experience indistinguishable from its animal protein equivalent,” said Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat Founder and CEO.
Brown told reporters, he has set a high bar for his product. He estimates Beyond Meat is only about 65 – 70 percent of the way to its ultimate developmental goal.
As with all great advances, there are down sides…
The original Beyond Meat cost somewhat more than real Beef; around 25 percent more than real Beef. That’s been a turnoff to many who might otherwise have tried the stuff out of curiosity, or coveted it as a welcome addition to their established Vegetarian or Vegan diets. One sour note in the symphony is, Beyond Meat 2.0 is expected to hit retail shelves at an even higher price – at least until manufacturing can be scaled up considerably from its current volume.
Also, that Coconut Oil marbling may not be as healthy as some folks say it is, after all.
My take
Until products such as Beyond Meat and The Impossible Burger become cheap enough to challenge real Meat on price, they will not become mainstream household commodities. And one hopes the evolution of all Plant-based Protein products progresses apace, so we can all afford to eat them when we can no longer afford real Meat at all, or real Meat ceases to be economically and environmentally sustainable. Some say the deadline for that is around 2050. Others say, closer to 2030. I hope I’ll be around for earlier one, at least, to observe and report on the State of Dietary Protein at that time…
~ Maggie J.