Major plant-based protein producer Beyond Meat is shifting its name to reflect its push into new protein categories, according to an article from The Associated Press.
“Welcome to Beyond the Plant Protein Company,” the company announced on its social media channels March 4, unveiling its new name. “A new chapter begins, rooted in unlocking the power of plants.”
The change is reflected on the company’s website as well. The brand’s packaging will only feature the name “Beyond,” AP says.
While Beyond is still producing various plant-based meat products, the change comes after the company in January released a line of plant-based protein drinks called Beyond Immerse. Beyond also plans to offer a protein bar later this year, AP says.
“For me, it is an opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants,” Ethan Brown, President and CEO of Beyond, says in the AP report. “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 into their lives.”
Turbulence in the plant-based meat market
The change also comes as U.S. sales of plant-based meat alternatives are struggling. Plant-based meat and seafood saw a 7% decline in one-year dollar growth in 2024 compared to 2023, according to a report from Good Food Institute, citing data from SPINS. Plant-based meat and seafood unit sales also saw a 28% decrease between 2022 and 2024, Good Food Institute says.
Beyond has had its own struggles as a company, following the overall market. The company's Q3 2025 year-over-year revenue is down by 13.32%, and its stock price has dropped by nearly 75% since this time last year.
Beyond’s continued commitment to plant-based meats
The company plans to focus more on products that showcase plants, with a goal to “celebrate the realness” of its products and simplified ingredients, Brown tells AP. He also hopes the new products like Beyond Immerse drinks will lead consumers back to the plant-based meats the company is more traditionally known for, the report adds.
Brown still has faith in the future success of plant-based meats, predicting it to be a “much more dominant choice” over the next several years, according to the AP report.
A market prediction from DataM Intelligence does forecast major growth in the alternative protein market in coming years, though that prediction includes all alternative protein products, not just plant-based meats.
The market research company predicts the alternative protein market will grow from $34.3 billion in 2024 to $109.5 billion by 2032, with a 15.6% CAGR. Plant-based protein, which would include plant-based meat as well as other products like pea protein powder or the Beyond Immerse drinks, was the largest contributor to the alternative protein market in 2024 at $15.4 billion, or 45% of global market revenue. DataM Intelligence predicts plant-based protein will continue to be a revenue anchor in the overall alternative protein market through 2032.
For now, though, Brown says Beyond is navigating a “period of confusion,” per AP. “It’s just not the moment for plant-based meat right now."
