Beyond Meat Rebrands as 'Beyond The Plant Protein Co.'

Company shifts focus to plant-based drinks and snacks as sales of its meat alternatives decline.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Beyond Meat is dropping the 'meat' from its name as it moves beyond the struggling market for plant-based burgers, sausages and tenders. The company, now rebranded as 'Beyond The Plant Protein Co.', is expanding into new categories like protein drinks and bars. The refresh comes as U.S. sales of plant-based meat alternatives have plummeted, dragging down Beyond Meat's revenue. The company hopes the new focus on simplified, plant-based products will help revive customer interest.

Why it matters

Beyond Meat's pivot away from its core meat alternative products reflects the broader challenges facing the plant-based meat industry. As consumers have become more discerning about ingredients, many have turned away from highly processed meat substitutes. The rebranding and new product focus aims to position Beyond as a leader in the growing plant-based protein market, which includes beverages, snacks and other minimally processed items.

The details

Beyond Meat introduced its first beverage, a sparkling protein drink called Beyond Immerse, in January and plans to release a protein bar this summer. The company has also revamped its flagship burger to make it healthier and introduced a new product called Beyond Ground that contains just four simple ingredients. Beyond says it will increasingly focus on products that 'celebrate the realness' of plants, like chickpea sausages or faba bean strips, rather than trying to mimic meat.

  • In January 2026, Beyond Meat introduced its first beverage, a sparkling protein drink called Beyond Immerse.
  • In the summer of 2026, Beyond Meat plans to release a new protein bar.

The players

Beyond The Plant Protein Co.

Formerly known as Beyond Meat, the company is rebranding and expanding beyond its core plant-based meat alternatives into new categories like protein drinks and bars.

Ethan Brown

The founder and CEO of Beyond The Plant Protein Co., who says the rebrand is an 'opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants'.

Chris Costagli

A food thought leader at NIQ, who says plant-based brands have struggled as customers scrutinize labels and find unfamiliar ingredients, added sugars or high sodium content.

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What they’re saying

“For me, it is an opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants. 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 it into their lives.”

— Ethan Brown, Founder and CEO, Beyond The Plant Protein Co. (wbal.com)

“There's a lot of fillers and gums and texturizers and things that give those products a more familiar feel. I think as people have been paying closer and closer attention to what they're actually ingesting, it's causing some products to stumble.”

— Chris Costagli, Food thought leader, NIQ (wbal.com)

What’s next

Beyond The Plant Protein Co. plans to eventually put its new plant-based protein drinks and bars in stores, after first launching them online through the company's 'Beyond Test Kitchen' website to gather customer feedback.

The takeaway

Beyond Meat's rebranding and pivot to a wider range of simplified, plant-based products reflects the changing consumer preferences in the alternative protein market. As shoppers demand more transparency and less processed ingredients, companies like Beyond are having to rethink their strategies to stay relevant and meet evolving demands.