The classic summer scene of a delicious hamburger sizzling on the backyard grill might be undergoing a transformation. Startups like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are leading a significant initiative in the food industry: crafting the perfect blend of peas, coconut oil, potato proteins, and other plant-based components that replicate the beloved qualities of ground beef. If they can win over even the most discerning meat lovers, these emerging companies could see substantial financial rewards, positioning themselves directly against billion-dollar meat producers who have already taken notice.
“For us to make an impact, we must appeal to meat consumers — and that’s been our goal from the very beginning,” stated Nick Halla, chief strategy officer of Impossible Foods, in an interview with Food Dive. “The connection between people and the source of their meat will evolve over time. Currently, many consumers are not particularly attached to their meat coming from animals; they simply want it to taste good.”
Mimicking the flavor of real meat has proven to be a slow and meticulous process, but this is often intentional. Manufacturers are cautious not to release a product too soon, fearing that an early launch could alienate meat enthusiasts or evoke comparisons to the frozen, hockey puck-shaped veggie burgers that have long dominated the market. To win over consumers beyond the traditional vegetarian and vegan demographics, plant-based meats must deliver the same taste, texture, and aroma that humanity has craved since prehistoric times.
Initially, much of the focus in plant-based meat has centered on the beef market. According to industry data, food service operators and stores sold an estimated 7.3 billion pounds of ground beef in 2016, generating more than $2 million in revenue. Plant-based meat producers are optimistic that capturing even a small portion of this market could establish them as significant players in the food industry, and they need meat consumers to achieve that goal.
There is evidence that this ambition is not merely wishful thinking: a report from 2015 by NPD Group, Midan Marketing, and Meatingplace revealed that 70% of meat-eating consumers are incorporating non-meat proteins into their meals at least once a week. Among this group, 22% reported using non-meat proteins more frequently than the previous year, indicating significant growth potential in this category. Last year, total plant-based meat sales exceeded $606 million — not including Whole Foods data — with refrigerated meat alternatives witnessing a 15.9% increase, as reported by retail sales company SPINS. As researchers refine plant-based beef to more closely resemble its animal-derived counterparts, there is hope that more shoppers will choose these products, further boosting sales.
Founded in 2011 by Stanford biochemistry professor Patrick Brown, Impossible Foods dedicated its first four years to secretly deconstructing the hamburger. Scientists worked diligently to address the complex challenge of replicating a burger without real meat by exploring equally intricate questions: What makes meat appealing? Why does its texture change from soft to firm when cooked? What are the sources of the flavors and aromas when grilled? Instead of merely adding colors or flavors to imitate meat’s appearance and taste, they employed chemistry to understand these phenomena before seeking plant-based solutions to recreate meat.
“The methods used so far were not going to yield products that meat consumers would prefer over current options,” Halla noted, reflecting on his upbringing on a Minnesota dairy farm, from which he now consumes 90% less meat due to its environmental impact. “We need to discover a new way to create food.”
During their research, Impossible Foods identified a compound called heme that contributes to meat’s color and desirable taste, while also enhancing other flavors during cooking. It took months to find a protein — legume hemoglobin from the legume plant — that triggered the same chemical reactions when heated. The scientists also aimed to replicate beef’s textural transformation from soft and spongy to firm upon cooking, which they achieved using wheat and potato proteins.
Today, the burger consists of four main ingredients: heme, coconut oil, and wheat and potato proteins. After developing thousands of meat prototypes over the past few years, a team of nearly 100 researchers continues to refine the product in the company’s expansive Silicon Valley laboratory. Impossible Foods has primarily focused on introducing its products in restaurants, now available in establishments in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco. This strategy allows restaurant staff to experience the product firsthand and share their knowledge with curious customers. The price for a single burger ranges from $12 to $19, comparable to an average entrée or upscale appetizer.
While these startups understand that most people are hesitant to give up meat, they are banking on appealing to health-conscious barbecue enthusiasts and foodies who prioritize their choices based on personal values, such as environmental sustainability and humane treatment of animals. The resources required for cows to convert plants into meat are significant. For instance, producing an Impossible Burger uses about 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. Furthermore, plant-based burgers generally contain less fat, no cholesterol, and more protein than standard beef burgers, making them an appealing option for the health-conscious consumer.
Beyond Meat has been working since 2009 to create plant-based meats, launching its first commercial product — chicken strips — three years later. Similar to Impossible Foods, the company has deconstructed the traditional meat burger, exploring natural ingredients to replicate its characteristics through a process of trial and error. For example, after experimenting with various ingredients like pomegranate juice to give the meat its red color, researchers ultimately chose beet juice, which turns a medium red and caramelizes to create grill marks like those on a real burger when cooked.
The company’s initial burger hit the market in 2015 but has since been replaced by the popular Beyond Burger, which mimics the 80% protein and 20% fat ratio found in supermarket meat. Beyond Meat has refined its ingredient list and manufacturing process, resulting in the Beyond Burger sizzling and oozing fats while cooking, which has led to sales more than ten times faster than its next best-selling item. The product has garnered a devoted fanbase on social media, with customers surprising family members by serving it for dinner and later revealing that it wasn’t meat.
“As a company, we believe there’s still room for improvement,” stated Will Schafer, Beyond Meat’s vice president of marketing. “While we are in the right vicinity, I think the burger still doesn’t quite capture the essence of beef, so we remain eager to enhance that aspect.”
The company employs a team of scientists dedicated to fine-tuning the delicate balance of ingredients to enhance the meat’s texture, deepen its color when cooked, and improve its aroma and taste. The potential market for plant-based meat products has not gone unnoticed. Impossible Foods has raised over $180 million from investors, including billionaire Bill Gates and Google, with the latter reportedly attempting to acquire the company for as much as $300 million. Beyond Meat also boasts high-profile investors, 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 is optimistic about expanding its partnership with Tyson beyond financial investment, with hopes of leveraging the meat giant’s extensive distribution network to make its products available in more stores and restaurants.
Earlier this month, Beyond Meat strengthened its executive team by hiring Charles Muth, a former vice president of sales for Coca-Cola’s venturing and emerging brands unit, as its chief growth officer to oversee distribution and expansion of its products in retail and food service. “Companies like Tyson recognize that more people are incorporating plant-based meals into their diets and realize the industry landscape is evolving,” Schafer noted.
Monica McGurk, an executive vice president at Tyson, remarked that the investment provides the company with “exposure to a fast-growing segment of the protein market. It aligns with our desire to offer consumers choices while considering how we can serve an increasingly diverse global population, all while maintaining focus on our core prepared foods and animal protein businesses.”
Christie Lagally, a senior scientist for the Good Food Institute, a 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 very visceral experience,” she recounted. “It took me back to a time when I ate meat.”
Lagally expresses optimism about the new generation of plant-based burgers, describing them as “high-quality foods” with well-sourced ingredients. However, she raises concerns common to all forms of plant-based meat — whether these products can be produced at scale and priced affordably enough to attract a wide consumer base. “People eat meat because it tastes good, is convenient, and is high in protein and calories,” she explained. “For plant-based meats to significantly impact animal-based meat consumption, they must be accessible to consumers. It cannot remain a niche market.”
For years, the frozen veggie burger was epitomized by brands like Kraft Heinz’s Boca Burger. Beyond Meat now markets its burger in the meat section at Whole Foods, a shift they describe as escaping the “penalty box” of the frozen food aisle. Two quarter-pound burgers retail for an average of $5.99, which is significantly higher than premium burgers made from grass-fed organic beef. Discussions are ongoing with other “household-name retailers” to stock the product, according to Schafer.
“The fact that we are now competing head-to-head with meat is incredibly validating,” Schafer remarked. “We’ve repeatedly seen on social media how self-identified carnivores try our burger and say, ‘Wow.’ While they may not commit to giving up meat forever, they express a willingness to incorporate our product into their diets.”
Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, told Food Dive 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 compelled her — a consumer of both plant and meat — to embrace them. “One of my food rules is to avoid anything artificial,” she stated in an email. “While I understand that people who don’t eat meat miss hamburgers, I don’t quite grasp this perspective. I simply want the meat I consume to come from animals treated as humanely as possible.”
This challenge lies ahead for plant-based meat producers. For now, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are refining their recipes to entice skeptical eaters, but whether they can attract enough customers to compete with traditional beef hamburgers on a larger scale remains uncertain.