The plant-based meat company is responding to social media fans demanding the return of its unbreaded plant-based chicken with a new chicken pieces product, continuing the brand’s focus on clean label innovation, as the brand seeks to right-side its business.
“Our product development team takes many varied factors into consideration as they create our product development pipeline. We love hearing what our consumers are saying on social media and take their feedback and insights as we consider new launches,” according to a Beyond Meat spokesperson.
Earlier this year, the company announced its foray into recapitalization, such as equity raises, debt restructuring or attracting new investors, to secure growth and restore market confidence.
The company received a fresh infusion of capital through an at-the-market (ATM) offering where it raised $46.7 million by selling 9.75 million shares of common stock in Q4 2024. The capital gains were used to invest in key areas for the company, including automation and optimized operations and production.
Expanding the Beyond IV platform
The Chicken Pieces launched after Beyond Meat introduced its Beyond IV platform “with an advancement in taste, clean ingredients and nutrition,” including ingredients like avocado oil to help lower saturated fat content, according to the spokesperson.
Beyond Chicken Pieces contains 21 grams of protein, 2 grams of saturated fat from avocado oil and devoid of cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics and GMOs. The Chicken Pieces also hold certifications from the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check program and the Better Choices for Life program from the American Diabetes Association and the Clean Label Project, similar to other products in Beyond’s portfolio.
Positive Nutrition Broadcast Series: Plants at the Center of the Plate on May 28 at 11 AM CT
Check out FoodNavigator's upcoming editorial webinar on the plant-based category for the Positive Nutrition series: Plants at the Center of the Plate on May 28 at 11 AM CT.
Panelists include:
- Andrew Arentowicz , CEO , 50/50 Foods, Inc.
- Barbara Connors , VP, Strategy & Acceleration , 84.51°
- Tara Kozlowich, Director Global Segment Marketing, Healthful Solutions Protein Fortification, Ingredion
- Deniz Ataman, Deputy Editor & Moderator, FoodNavigator-USA
Attendance is free with registration, click here to sign up and submit your questions to the panel today
Beyond initially debuted its first chicken product called Chicken-Free Strips at Whole Foods in 2012. The company pulled the product from the market in 2019 and has since launched other breaded plant-based chicken products, such as Beyond Chicken Tenders, Beyond Chicken Nuggets and Beyond Popcorn Chicken.
“After several years of research to raise the bar on taste, clean ingredients and nutrition, we are re-introducing our original groundbreaking plant-based chicken product as Beyond Chicken Pieces. Beyond Chicken Pieces reflect our commitment to ingredient integrity and outsized nutritional benefits, boasting 21 grams of plant protein together with heart-healthy avocado oil,” the spokesperson said.
Generating buzz
To promote the launch and plant-based eating, Beyond Meat partnered with the NBA on a digital cookbook titled Go Beyond the Buzzer. The book features recipes inspired by NBA players, including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Cade Cunningham and Kyrie Irving.
Beyond Meat also launched its 30-Day Challenge on Instagram where participants document their journey eating plant-based foods featuring Beyond Meat products. The campaign was designed by physician and author Matthew Lederman who wrote the popular plant-based nutrition book The Forks Over Knives Plan. Participants across different age groups will track various health metrics throughout the campaign with Beyond Meat documenting their experience on social media.
“This is not a moment. It is a movement. And it all starts now. Real people. Real breakthroughs. Expert-backed insights. Clean, plant-powered fuel. We are flipping the script on what it means to feel good – and this is just the beginning. What lives change week-over-week as part of a 30-day lifestyle challenge,” Beyond Meat posted.
