Lead: Beyond, the maker of plant-based burgers and chicken alternatives, has removed “Meat” from its corporate identity as it pushes into drinks and snack bars. The company — now styled as Beyond The Plant Protein Co. or simply Beyond on packaging — updated its website and social channels this week after launching a sparkling protein beverage, Beyond Immerse, in January and planning a protein bar for this summer. The move comes as U.S. retail sales of plant-based meat have fallen sharply since their 2020 peak and as Beyond’s net revenue declined 14% in the first nine months of 2025. Shares have traded below $1 since the start of this year, underscoring the urgency behind the repositioning.
Key Takeaways
- Beyond rebranded to Beyond The Plant Protein Co., updating online channels and packaging to the shortened name Beyond.
- Product shift: introduced Beyond Immerse (sparkling protein drink) in January and intends to launch a protein bar in summer 2026.
- Financial pressure: net revenue fell 14% in the first nine months of 2025; shares have traded under $1 since January 2026.
- Market context: U.S. plant-based meat retail sales peaked in 2020 and declined 26% over the past two years, per NIQ.
- Product strategy: Beyond launched Beyond Ground in summer 2024 with a four-ingredient formula and removed the word “meat” from that packaging.
- Broader category moves: competitors including Eat Just, Impossible Foods and Silk have introduced protein-focused plant products since last spring.
Background
Beyond was founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown and rose to prominence offering burgers, sausages and tenders designed to emulate animal meat. Its early growth corresponded with a spike in consumer curiosity about plant-based alternatives, culminating in a retail peak in 2020. Since then, spending on plant-based meat has softened, driven by changing consumer scrutiny and a shifting competitive landscape that includes both legacy food brands and startups expanding into plant proteins.
Industry analysts say the decline has been tied to ingredient complexity and nutritional tradeoffs in some products, as shoppers increasingly compare labels for added sugars, sodium and unfamiliar additives. In response, several companies have simplified formulations and broadened their portfolios toward dairy alternatives, powders and beverages. Beyond’s rebrand and product pipeline reflect that broader pivot from mimicry of meat toward a wider array of plant-protein formats.
Main Event
Earlier this week Beyond changed its public-facing identity online, adopting the name Beyond The Plant Protein Co. while packaging sometimes uses the shorter Beyond. The company says the renaming aligns with a strategy to emphasize plant-derived protein across multiple categories rather than only meat analogues. Beyond introduced Beyond Immerse, a sparkling protein drink, in January and has announced plans for a protein bar slated for release this summer through an online channel it calls Beyond Test Kitchen.
Beyond Test Kitchen is currently the exclusive storefront for new items; the company states the site is intended to accelerate product iteration and gather consumer feedback before wider retail rollouts. CEO Ethan Brown has framed the shift as focusing on “very real food that is directly from plants,” positioning plant-sourced proteins such as faba beans, potatoes and chickpeas as the centerpiece of future offerings.
The product play is partly a reaction to weak U.S. sales of plant-based meat. Beyond revamped its flagship burger in 2024 to improve nutritional profile and introduced Beyond Ground last summer with just four ingredients: faba bean protein, potato protein, psyllium husk and water. Management says such simpler recipes and new formats could reconnect consumers with plant-forward choices.
Despite a tougher U.S. market, Beyond’s meat-analog products remain popular in parts of Europe; Beyond items continue to appear on McDonald’s menus in that region. Company executives say the business will continue producing burgers, chicken and other meat-style items while expanding into drinks, snacks and other plant-protein products.
Analysis & Implications
Strategically, the name change signals a broader category bet: move beyond meat analogues to capture growing demand for convenient protein formats. Consumer demand for protein — not necessarily meat-like substitutes — is rising, creating an opening for beverages, powders and snack bars that promote clean labels and simpler ingredient lists. If Beyond can scale drink and bar formats while preserving shelf visibility, it may diversify revenue and reduce the company’s exposure to the slumping plant-meat aisle.
However, execution risks are material. Retail distribution is costly, and product development in beverages and bars requires different supply chains and margin profiles than patties and nuggets. Beyond is testing through its online Test Kitchen, but any delay in securing national retail placements or misjudging consumer taste could lengthen the turnaround. The company’s sub-$1 share price and steep revenue decline through September 2025 limit its financial runway and bargaining power with retailers and co-manufacturers.
On the consumer side, the shift toward simpler ingredient lists may restore trust among shoppers wary of additives used to mimic meat texture. Still, price sensitivity and taste expectations remain decisive. The company must balance perceived healthfulness, flavor performance and cost to win repeat purchases. International demand, especially in European markets where Beyond remains strong, could provide steadier revenue while the U.S. strategy matures.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Value | Source / Period |
|---|---|---|
| Net revenue change | -14% | Beyond, first nine months of 2025 |
| Share price | Below $1 | Since start of 2026 (public trading) |
| U.S. plant-based meat sales change | -26% over two years | NIQ, comparison since 2020 peak |
The table highlights the financial backdrop for the rebrand: a notable revenue decline and persistently low equity valuation alongside a category-wide sales contraction. Those figures help explain why management is shifting emphasis to product formats with stronger demand signals, such as protein drinks and bars.
Reactions & Quotes
Company leaders and industry analysts have framed the move as both pragmatic and strategic. Officials emphasize wanting to showcase plants and simpler recipes; analysts point to label scrutiny and nutritional tradeoffs as drivers of recent weakness.
“For me, it is an opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants,”
Ethan Brown, Beyond CEO
Brown’s remarks accompanied the rebrand and outline the company’s intention to prioritize plant-sourced proteins in formats consumers can integrate into daily life.
“There’s a lot of fillers and gums and texturizers and things that give those products a more familiar feel,”
Chris Costagli, food industry analyst, NIQ
Costagli’s comment underscores the label-scrutiny trend NIQ links to falling plant-meat sales and the potential advantage of simpler formulations in the dairy-alternative and protein segments.
“It’s just not the moment for plant-based meat right now,”
Ethan Brown, Beyond CEO
Brown used that phrase to acknowledge a difficult near-term environment even as he expressed confidence in the category’s longer-term prospects.
Unconfirmed
- Timing and scale of a national retail rollout for Beyond’s new drinks and bars have not been publicly confirmed beyond Test Kitchen online availability.
- Whether the rebrand alone will materially improve consumer perception or share price remains uncertain and dependent on product acceptance and distribution.
- The company’s longer-term profitability trajectory under the new strategy is unconfirmed and contingent on cost structure, marketing and retail execution.
Bottom Line
Beyond’s decision to drop “Meat” from its name reflects a strategic pivot toward broader plant-protein opportunities amid weakening demand for meat analogues in the U.S. The company is betting that expanding into drinks and snacks with simpler ingredient lists will reconnect shoppers and diversify revenue. That approach aligns with moves by peers such as Eat Just, Impossible Foods and Silk, which have introduced protein-focused products recently.
Execution will determine success: Beyond must translate online test wins into profitable retail scale while managing limited financial headroom. If it can deliver compelling taste, clean labels and widespread distribution, the shift could reestablish growth; if not, the company risks prolonging a difficult recovery period. Observers should watch upcoming retail announcements, trial consumer ratings for Beyond Immerse and the summer protein bar, and quarterly revenue trends for early signs of traction.
Sources
- AP News (news report)
- NIQ (market research)
- Beyond The Plant Protein Co. (Beyond) (company/official)