The classic image of a juicy hamburger sizzling on the backyard grill may soon undergo a transformation. Companies like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and other innovative startups are leading a significant initiative in the food industry: creating the perfect blend of peas, coconut oil, potato proteins, and other plant-based ingredients to replicate the flavors and textures people love about ground beef. If they can win over even the most discerning meat lovers, these emerging companies stand to gain substantial financial rewards, putting them in direct competition with multi-billion dollar meat producers who are already taking notice.
“For us to make an impact, we must attract meat consumers — that has been our goal from the very beginning,” stated Nick Halla, chief strategy officer of Impossible Foods, in an interview with Food Dive. “As people’s connection to where their meat comes from evolves, the current sentiment is that they simply want it to taste good, regardless of its origin.”
The pursuit of mimicking real meat’s taste has proven to be a slow and meticulous process, but this is often intentional. Manufacturers are cautious not to release a product prematurely, as they fear that an early launch could alienate meat enthusiasts or evoke memories of the frozen, hockey puck-shaped veggie burgers that have long dominated the market. To attract consumers beyond the usual vegetarian and vegan demographics, plant-based meats must replicate the taste, texture, and aroma of meat that has delighted humans since prehistoric times.
Much of the initial focus in the plant-based meat industry has targeted the beef market. According to industry data, an estimated 7.3 billion pounds of ground beef were purchased by food service operators and sold in stores generating over $2 million in revenue in 2016. Manufacturers of plant-based meat products are optimistic that even capturing a small percentage of this market could position them as significant players in the food sector, but they need meat eaters to help achieve that goal.
Evidence suggests this ambition is not merely wishful thinking. A 2015 report by NPD Group, Midan Marketing, and Meatingplace, a trade publication, revealed that 70% of meat-eating consumers incorporate a non-meat protein into their meals at least once a week. Among that group, 22% reported using non-meat proteins more frequently than the previous year, indicating the growth potential in this category. Last year, total plant-based meat sales exceeded $606 million — excluding data from Whole Foods — with refrigerated meat alternatives experiencing a surge of 15.9%, as reported by retail sales company SPINS. As researchers develop plant-based beef that more closely resembles traditional meat, there is hope that more consumers will choose these products, further driving sales.
Founded in 2011 by Patrick Brown, a biochemistry professor at Stanford University, Impossible Foods spent its first four years in secrecy, working to deconstruct the hamburger. Scientists grappled with the complex challenge of replicating a burger without real meat, asking difficult questions such as: What makes meat appealing? Why does it change from soft to firm during cooking? What flavors and aromas emerge when grilling? Instead of merely adding colors or flavors to mimic meat’s appearance and taste, they turned to chemistry to understand the underlying reasons for these characteristics before seeking plant-based alternatives.
“The existing approaches wouldn’t yield products that meat consumers would prefer over traditional options,” Halla noted. He, having grown up on a Minnesota dairy farm, now consumes 90% less meat due to environmental concerns. “We need to discover a new way to create food.”
During their research, Impossible Foods identified a compound known as heme, which contributes to meat’s color and appealing taste, amplifying flavors during cooking. It took months for scientists to find a protein — legume hemoglobin sourced from legumes — that elicited the same chemical reaction when exposed to heat. They also aimed to replicate the textural transformation beef undergoes when cooked, which they achieved using wheat and potato proteins.
Today, the burger comprises four primary ingredients: heme, coconut oil, and 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 extensive laboratory located in Silicon Valley.
Impossible Foods has primarily focused on launching its products in restaurants, now found in venues across Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco, allowing restaurant staff to experience and educate consumers about the products. The price of a burger, ranging from $12 to $19, aligns with average entrée prices or upscale appetizers.
While these startups recognize that many people are hesitant to abandon meat entirely, they aim to attract health-conscious barbecuers and foodies who increasingly choose their meals based on personal beliefs like environmental sustainability and humane animal treatment. Producing an Impossible Burger, for example, requires about 1/20th the land, a quarter of the water, and generates only 1/8th of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to a traditional beef burger, according to the company. Plant-based burgers also typically contain less fat, no cholesterol, and more protein than conventional beef burgers.
Beyond Meat, operating since 2009, launched its first commercial product — chicken strips — three years later. Similar to Impossible Foods, the company has dismantled the traditional meat burger to replicate its characteristics through plant-based ingredients, a process fraught with trial and error. Various ingredients, such as pomegranate juice, were initially considered to give the meat its red color, but ultimately researchers chose beet juice, which caramelizes to create grill marks reminiscent of real burgers when cooked.
The company’s first burger hit the market in 2015, and it has since been succeeded by the popular Beyond Burger, which mimics the 80% protein, 20% fat profile found in supermarket meat. The Beyond Burger has been a hit, selling more than ten times faster than its next best-selling item and earning a following on social media, where many fans are surprised to learn they served a meat alternative to their families.
“We believe there’s still room for growth,” stated Will Schafer, Beyond Meat’s vice president of marketing. “While we’re in the right ballpark, we still feel that the burger isn’t quite 100% beef-like, so we’re eager to enhance that aspect.”
The company employs a dedicated team of scientists focused on fine-tuning the balance of ingredients to improve texture, color when cooked, and aroma and flavor. 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, which reportedly attempted to acquire the company for as much as $300 million. Beyond Meat has attracted notable investors as well, 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 mere investment, aiming to leverage the meat giant’s extensive distribution network to make its products available in more stores and restaurants.
“Companies like Tyson recognize that more people are incorporating plant-based meals into their diets, understanding that the landscape is evolving,” Schafer commented. Monica McGurk, a senior vice president at Tyson, noted that the investment provided the company “exposure to a rapidly growing segment of the protein market,” aligning with their goal to offer consumers choices while focusing on their core prepared foods and animal protein businesses.
Christie Lagally, a senior scientist at the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. promoting meat alternatives, has been vegan since 1995. She recalled her experience trying the Impossible Burger in San Francisco last summer but found it too reminiscent of meat to finish. “It was a very visceral experience,” she shared. “It took me back to my days of eating meat.”
Lagally is optimistic about the new generation of plant-based burgers, calling them “high-quality foods” made from well-sourced ingredients. However, she cautions that the main concern for all plant-based meat versions lies in scalability and affordability to attract a broader consumer base. “People eat meat because it tastes good, it’s convenient, and it’s high in protein,” she explained. “For plant-based meat to make a significant impact on reducing animal-based meat consumption, we need to ensure it reaches consumers effectively. It can’t remain a niche market.”
For years, frozen veggie burgers were represented by brands like Kraft Heinz’s Boca Burger. Beyond Meat has since positioned its burger in the meat section at Whole Foods, a move the company describes as escaping the “penalty box” of frozen food aisles. Two quarter-pound burgers average $5.99, which is significantly higher than premium grass-fed organic beef burgers. Ongoing discussions are underway with various “household-name 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,” Schafer said. “We’ve seen numerous instances on social media where self-identified red-blooded carnivores have tried our burger and exclaimed, ‘Wow.’ While they may not abandon meat forever, they express intentions to incorporate our products 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. Still, this understanding hasn’t convinced her — a consumer of both plant and animal products — to fully embrace them. “One of my food rules is to avoid anything artificial,” she stated in an email. “While I understand that non-meat eaters often miss hamburgers, I still prefer meat from animals that have been treated as humanely as possible.”
This presents a challenge for plant-based meat producers. Currently, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are refining their recipes to attract skeptical consumers, but whether they can convince enough people to rival traditional beef hamburgers on a larger scale remains uncertain. The incorporation of ingredients like calcium citrate complex may enhance their nutritional profile, but the real test is whether they can resonate with consumers seeking familiar flavors and textures in their meals.