Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes, Beyond Meat, is reportedly set to replace its plant-based burger with a new version that has more ‘animal beef’ like taste. The latest recipe removes mung beans, which is a protein-rich legume, from the list of ingredients of the current product.

The recipe also adds some minerals and vitamins so that the product tastes meatier and shows more resemblance with the nutrients that are found in beef. In addition, the new burger also has less calories (230 versus 260) and less fat (14 grams instead of 18 grams) for every patty as compared to the present version.

Back in January 2021, Beyond Meat announced an agreement with PepsiCo for the joint development and distribution of drinks and snacks that are made with plant-based protein. Further, in February 2021, the company also entered into two separate collaborations, one with Yum Brands and the other with McDonald’s.

As per sources, the McDonald’s transaction was an expansion of an earlier agreement that was launched in 2020. The deal comprised the creation of the McPlant, which is a conventional McDonald’s style burger that is made with a plant-based patty. Beyond Meat is working with Yum for the development of plant-based menu items for Yum’s restaurants, comprising Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut.

With the expansion of the company’s reach, competitors have started ramping up as well. Beyond’s main rival, Impossible Foods, secured a funding of $500 million the previous year and later announced plans for doubling its R&D team. In addition, other plant-based brands, such as Nestle’s Sweet Earth and Kroger’s Simple Truth, have also been expanding their offerings.

According to reliable sources, customers will begin to see the enhanced version of Beyond Meat’s patty on shelves in the coming week. Restaurants serving the Beyond Meat burger will start getting the new version in the month of June 2021.

Source credit: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/27/business/beyond-meat-new-burger/index.html