The classic summer scene of a succulent hamburger sizzling on the backyard grill might be undergoing a transformation. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, along with other innovative startups, are leading a significant movement in the food industry. Their goal is to find the perfect combination of peas, coconut oil, potato proteins, and other plant-based ingredients that replicate the attributes people cherish about ground beef. If they can win over even the most discerning meat lovers, the financial rewards for these emerging companies could be substantial, placing them in direct competition with established multi-billion dollar meat producers who are already taking notice.
“For us to make an impact, we need to appeal to meat consumers — that has been our focus from the beginning,” said Nick Halla, chief strategy officer of Impossible Foods, in an interview with Food Dive. “People’s connection to the source of their meat will evolve over time. Currently, most consumers prioritize taste over whether their meat comes from an animal.” The journey to replicate the flavor of real meat has been painstakingly slow, but this is often by design. Manufacturers have been cautious about launching a product prematurely, fearing that an early entry could alienate meat enthusiasts or evoke comparisons to the frozen, hockey puck-shaped veggie burgers that have dominated the market for years. To entice consumers beyond the typical vegetarian and vegan demographics, plant-based meats must replicate the taste, texture, and aroma of meat, which has tantalized humans since prehistoric times.
Initially, much of the focus on plant-based meat has been directed at the beef market. According to industry data, food service operators and retailers sold an estimated 7.3 billion pounds of ground beef in 2016, generating revenues exceeding $2 million. Manufacturers of plant-based meat products are optimistic that capturing even a small share of this market will position them as significant players in the food industry. They recognize the necessity of appealing to meat eaters to achieve this goal.
Evidence suggests this is not merely wishful thinking: A 2015 report from NPD Group, Midan Marketing, and Meatingplace found that 70% of meat-eating consumers substitute a non-meat protein in at least one meal weekly. Of these, 22% reported using non-meat proteins more frequently than the previous year, indicating substantial growth potential in this category. Last year, total plant-based meat sales surpassed $606 million — excluding Whole Foods data — with refrigerated meat alternatives experiencing a 15.9% surge, according to retail sales company SPINS. As researchers develop plant-based beef that closely resembles animal products, there is optimism that more consumers will embrace these options, driving sales even higher.
Employees at Impossible Foods, founded in 2011 by Patrick Brown, a Stanford University biochemistry professor, dedicated the first four years of the company’s existence to secretly deconstructing the hamburger. Scientists tackled the complex challenge of replicating a burger without real meat by exploring fundamental questions: What makes meat appealing? Why does it change texture from soft to firm during cooking? What contributes to the flavors and aromas produced when it is grilled? Instead of simply adding colors or flavors to mimic meat’s appearance and taste, they turned to chemistry to understand these phenomena before seeking plant-based solutions for their new meat.
“The methods used previously weren’t going to create products that meat consumers would prefer over what they currently enjoy,” Halla noted. “We need to discover a new way to produce food.” During their research, Impossible Foods identified a compound called heme that contributes to meat’s color and tantalizing flavor while enhancing other flavors during cooking. It took months of investigation to find a protein — legume hemoglobin from the legume plant — that triggered the same chemical reactions when heated. Scientists also sought to replicate the textural transformation beef undergoes during cooking — from soft and spongy to firm. The answer lay in wheat and potato proteins.
Today, the burger comprises four primary ingredients: heme, coconut oil, wheat, and potato proteins. After developing thousands of meat prototypes over the years, a team of nearly 100 researchers continues to refine the product in the company’s expansive Silicon Valley laboratory. Impossible Foods has concentrated its strategy on first launching its products in restaurants — it is now available in establishments across Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco — allowing restaurant staff to experience the product and educate curious consumers. The price for a burger, ranging from $12 to $19, is comparable to an average entrée or high-end appetizer.
While these startups understand that many people are reluctant to abandon meat, they hope to attract barbecuers and food enthusiasts who are making healthier choices and increasingly base their food preferences on beliefs such as environmental sustainability and humane treatment of animals. Raising cows requires substantial land, water, food, and time to convert plants into meat. For instance, producing an Impossible Burger requires approximately 1/20th the land, a quarter of the water, and generates 1/8th the greenhouse gas emissions compared to a traditional beef burger, according to the company. Additionally, plant-based burgers contain less fat, no cholesterol, and often more protein than conventional burgers.
Beyond Meat has been working since 2009 to develop plant-based meats, launching its first commercial product — chicken strips — three years later. Similar to Impossible Foods, the company disassembled the traditional meat burger and sought to replicate its characteristics using plants, a process that involved considerable trial and error. Various ingredients, such as pomegranate juice, were tested to achieve meat’s red color, but researchers ultimately opted for beet juice, which caramelizes to create grill marks on the outside of the meat when heated, mimicking a real burger.
The company’s inaugural burger hit the market in 2015 but has since been replaced by the popular Beyond Burger, designed to resemble the 80% protein, 20% fat ratio found in supermarket meat. The Beyond Burger has become a best-seller, selling more than ten times faster than its next most popular item. It has garnered a following on social media, with many fans serving it to their families for dinner, only to surprise them later with the revelation that it was not meat. “As a company, we believe we still have room for improvement,” stated Will Schafer, Beyond Meat’s vice president of marketing. “We are close, but I still think when you taste the burger, it’s not quite 100% beef-like, so we are eager to enhance that aspect.”
To enhance the texture of the meat when chewed, darken its color during cooking, and improve the aroma and flavor, the company employs a team of scientists who continuously test and adjust the intricate balance of ingredients. The potential market for plant-based meat products has caught the attention of investors. Impossible Foods has secured over $180 million from prominent investors including billionaire Bill Gates and Google, which reportedly attempted to acquire the company for as much as $300 million. Beyond Meat has also attracted notable supporters, including the Humane Society of the United States, General Mills, and Tyson Foods, which acquired a 5% stake in the company last fall. Beyond Meat hopes to expand its partnership with Tyson beyond investment, aiming to leverage the meat giant’s extensive distribution network to make its products available in more stores and restaurants.
Recently, the company strengthened its executive team by hiring Charles Muth, a former vice president of sales for Coca-Cola’s venturing and emerging brands division, as its chief growth officer to oversee product distribution and expansion in retail and food service. “Companies like Tyson recognize that more consumers are incorporating plant-based meals into their diets and understand that the market landscape is changing,” Schafer remarked.
Monica McGurk, an executive vice president at Tyson, stated that the investment allowed the company “to tap into a rapidly expanding segment of the protein market. It aligns with our commitment to providing consumers with choices and addressing the needs of a growing and diverse global population while staying focused on our core prepared foods and animal protein businesses.” Christie Lagally, a senior scientist at the Good Food Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for meat alternatives, has been a vegan since 1995. She sampled the Impossible Burger in San Francisco last summer but found it too reminiscent of meat to finish. “It was a visceral experience,” she recalled. “It brought back memories of eating meat long ago.”
Lagally is optimistic about the new generation of plant-based burgers, describing them as “high-quality foods” made with well-sourced ingredients. However, the primary concern is whether these products can be scaled and priced competitively enough to attract a broader consumer base. “People eat meat because it tastes good, is convenient, and is high in protein and calories,” she explained. “For plant-based meat to significantly impact the consumption of animal-based meat, we must ensure it reaches a wider audience. It can’t remain just a niche market.”
For years, frozen veggie burgers like Kraft Heinz’s Boca Burger represented the sector. However, Beyond Meat has now positioned its burger in the meat section at Whole Foods, which the company describes as escaping the “penalty box” of the frozen food aisle. Two quarter-pound burgers retail for an average of $5.99, significantly higher than premium options like grass-fed organic beef. Ongoing discussions are underway with other major retailers to carry the product, according to Schafer.
“The fact that we are now competing head-to-head with meat on the main stage is incredibly validating,” said Schafer. “We’ve repeatedly seen on social media that self-identified carnivores are trying the burger and expressing surprise at its taste. While they may not abandon meat entirely, they are indicating a willingness to incorporate it into their diets.” Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, remarked that plant-based meats are here to stay because they address a “culinary problem” for many vegetarians, vegans, and animal welfare advocates. However, this has not persuaded her — a consumer of both plants and meat — to embrace them. “One of my food rules is to avoid anything artificial,” she stated in an email. “While I understand that those who don’t eat meat miss hamburgers, I don’t quite grasp the appeal. I simply want the meat I consume to come from animals treated as humanely as possible.”
This presents a challenge for plant-based meat producers. Currently, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are working to refine their recipes to win over skeptical consumers, but whether they can draw enough interest to compete with traditional beef hamburgers on a larger scale remains uncertain.