Beyond Meat drops the ‘Meat’ from its name as it expands to plant-based drinks and snacks

Beyond Meat is dropping “Meat” from its name as it moves beyond the struggling market for plant-based burgers, sausages, and tenders and expands into new categories like protein drinks. The company, rebranded as Beyond The Plant Protein Co.—or simply Beyond on its packaging—changed its website and social media channels. Beyond introduced its first beverage, a sparkling protein drink called Beyond Immerse, in January and plans to release a protein bar this summer. The refresh could be critical for the brand. U.S. sales of plant-based alternatives to meat are flagging and have dragged Beyond down with them. The company's net revenue dropped 14% in the first nine months of 2025. Its shares have been trading below $1 since the start of this year. “For me, it is an opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants,” said Beyond President and CEO Ethan Brown, who founded the company in 2009. “It’s about delivering all those benefits of the plant kingdom to the consumer in ways that they’re going to be able to easily integrate it into their lives.” Beyond is not the only vegan food company making a pivot. Consumer demand for protein is skyrocketing, and several companies are scrambling to serve up more plant-based options. Eat Just, which makes plant-based eggs, introduced a protein powder made with mung beans last spring. In January, Impossible Foods announced a partnership with Equii Foods to develop protein-packed breads and pastas. Silk, a plant-based dairy brand, also unveiled a protein drink in January. Chris Costagli, a food thought leader at NielsenIQ (NIQ), said plant-based brands have struggled in recent years as customers scrutinized their labels and found unfamiliar ingredients, added sugars, or high sodium content. After peaking in 2020, U.S. retail sales of plant-based meat have plummeted, falling 26% over the last two years, according to NIQ. “There’s a lot of fillers and gums and texturizers and things that give those products a more familiar feel,” Costagli said. “I think as people have been paying closer and closer attention to what they’re actually ingesting, it’s causing some products to stumble.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.