Beyond Meat: How the Plant-Based Pioneer Became a Stock Market Loser | WSJ What Went Wrong

Once a stock market darling, Beyond Meat’s sales have started to decline in the last year. The company had pursued growth, but struggled to execute its vision, leading to a series of production missteps and mounting expenses. WSJ explains what went wrong.
Illustration: Preston Jessee
What Went Wrong explores the challenging conditions and decisions that led to a company's downturn.
#BeyondMeat #PlantBased #WSJ

[@WelfareChrist]

Beyond Meat’s shrinking sausage problem is such a hilarious metaphor for the public waning interest in their offerings

[@cosworth6nut]

LOL

[@acat3772]

Shrinking sausage problem💀

[@lautaroaguilar9584]

👍🏿👍🏿

[@AV57]

Price. That’s the problem. We’re talking about smooshing beans and binding them together. There’s no reason why veggie burgers should be more expensive than animal flesh. These new plant-based meat companies are trying to spin their food as revolutionary when it’s not. It’s simple food. Price it that way. They could offer customers massive saving on their grocery bill at a time when a lot of people can barely afford animal meat, but instead they’re insisting upon selling 8oz packs of veggie patties at 30% more than a 16 oz pack of ground beef. And why are there no bulk options? This is hurting the animal rights and vegan movement in general and feeding into the false narrative that veganism is for rich snobs when it really shouldn’t be.

[@dancedude182]

I would suggest you to think a little harder why these product are expensive. Start by examining product development costs, how many ingredients are used to make them taste like meat and production process.

[@AV57]

@@dancedude182 If you have the information, then pass it along. Otherwise, your vague criticism is of no help.

[@hashiramasenju6058]

There are two things you're not considering: 1) Meat farmers get subsidies from the government. 2) Plant-based meats have the same issue every new product has in that it's very hard to get to the stage of mass-production meaning expenses are very high for these companies.

[@AV57]

@@hashiramasenju6058 No, I do consider those things. In spite of those issues, we're still talking about beans, methylcellulose, spices, and refrigeration. Start-up costs were mostly negated by the vast amount of investment capital they received when they went public. If we were talking about some mom and pap restaurant trying to pump out veggie burgers with their life savings, I could see your point here, but they raised many millions of dollars to buy prime real estate, equipment, and hire experienced manufacturers right out of the gate. In my hometown, they bought a Dip N Dots factory and converted all the staff over to making their products. It was almost seamless, apart from running a few new machines.

[@OU81TWO]

It's not "simple food" because if it was you could make it at home but you can't. Vegan parmesan cheese is simple food. Take cashews and throw them in a blender with a bit of nutrional yeast. Done. Beyond's burger has a texture and taste that is a result of processing different ingredients. That processing is what costs money. You could probably find all the ingredients yourself if you knew what they were but you wouldn't be able to create the patty.

[@drac124]

This picture of the modern CEO, the guy that lives on another planet and knows nothing about business management but knows how to pull money from investors its becoming very common in real life and its destroying a lot of good ideas.

[@donaldharlan3981]

Any stocks, connected to the intellectual property of 'Beyond Meat', is likely fake. 🤑

[@Allen-L-Canada]

He focused on investors, but forgot consumers.

[@djamilawilschke7259]

they’re not new, they came and went for decades if not centuries, nothing really new, egotistical company owners were always there - now just more public due to media

[@Purple_jamjelly]

Omg this is so trueeeee. The story of my supervisor. They don’t think about consumed them they ask what went wrong

[@Purple_jamjelly]

Omg this is so trueeeee. The story of my supervisor. They don’t think about consumed them they ask what went wrong

[@rnwbld]

Veggie burger options were terrible when I stopped eating meat in 2007. You had nut or lentil burgers that didn't hold their shape and tasted nothing like meat burgers, and some restaurants served up large flat falafels. Seitan/wheat based burgers became a thing a few years later, but those, while tasty, aren't ideal for everybody. When Impossible and Beyond launched their burgers they were miles ahead of everything else and people - including myself - would pay the premium to get them. I personally, transported two frozen boxes of Beyond burgers from England to France with me on my summer vacation because they were so difficult to get hold of. Now though, just about every supermarket chain has their own version that is similar for half the price. Even in rural France, where I can't buy vegan cheese, decent plant-based burgers are easy to find. Not to mention the plethora of independent brands that have sprung up. Given the current state of inflation, it's not surprising consumers are chosing the cheaper options. The Beyond burgers are great, possibly my favourite, but they not twice as good as the ones that are half the price - only 10 to 20% better at most.

[@jpcaretta8847]

Rural french will shoot you if you ask vegan burgers

[@leoperez6737]

I wish I had so many options in northern Mexico just a handful of supermarkets sell beyond meat amd that's it.

[@Distress.]

My personal problem eith them is they're not healthier than regular meat. It makes no sense to buy a fake version.

[@Syphaxis]

That was miles ahead to you? Pouring one out for your taste buds. It is a sad day for France.

[@rnwbld]

@@jpcaretta8847 if I asked for vegan cheese perhaps, but vegan burgers are widely available and plant-based milks are sold everywhere.

[@sunilchotrani]

The video didn’t mention the collaboration with McD on its McPlant, this drove the stock price up. Later in Aug 2022, McD mentioned that they aren’t rolling out McPlant since demand wasn’t strong enough.

[@EthanHalsall]

Only in the US, in the UK, it was a massive hit they now offer the double mcplant

[@mikea5745]

I wish Impossible could scale up their production more so companies would partner with them instead. Beyond is just not on the same level in terms of taste, and the smell of Beyond is terrible

[@nateskool]

I went to the UK in August and lost it when I finally got my hands on a McPlant that had vegan cheese and mayo and cooked on its own equipment. I haven't had McDonald's in almost 5 years and it sucks I'll never go again most likely unless it's in the UK. The fries there are also the only country I know of that has fried with no beef lard on them.

[@EthanHalsall]

@@nateskool the UK is great for vegans, literally everywhere has vegan food

[@djamilawilschke7259]

@@mikea5745 disagree, me and many of my acquaintances like the taste a lot in fact, with everything it is a matter of taste and the more variety the merrier - no-one wants monopolies

[@yashawngray9289]

The price is what went wrong -the plant-based meat costs the same amount as real meat; the company tells you exactly how much resources are saved by their product, but then they sell their product for the same amount as meat - when you sell plant-based meat at the same price as real meat -your capitalizing off of all the resources that you didn't even use -which means they're saying screw the people, screw the investors, and then they milk the profits from the non used resources......that they are still charging you for............. they should be making their plant-based Burgers cheaper and more available to the public ,but instead they're still selling you the resources that aren't even being used. They are slitting the throats of all the people who actually care.....its called greed

[@justinmiller1118]

Everything I have purchased from Impossible Foods is just so much better, and Beyond Meat is usually far too expensive to compete.

[@slmnemo]

@@davidkey4272 GMOs are not a reason to be upset unless they're being used to make plants resilient specifically to super strong pesticides. I'm not aware of any major soy allergies, though they likely exist since you mentioned them. The gluten is definitely a bit of an issue for some though.

[@saynotop2w]

💯 percent

[@rickallen9099]

Wanna know what actually tastes better than both? Real meat.

[@ericwalker8382]

​@@rickallen9099There is a reason they compare all of their products to...well, meat lol

[@AF-gd7fh]

@@davidkey4272 there's nothing wrong with soy or gluten unless you are allergic. Being anti GMO is anti science

[@spinitback8884]

I enjoy it but it is much too expensive. You have to address that.

[@SS-wi4tm]

I get that meat is subsidized and that's why it's cheaper. But they could at least sell it in bulk. These meat alternatives are barely 2 filling servings in a pack. I don't need to pay for all that packaging.

[@buttofthejoke]

Exactly. I mean it's not as good as meat, but I'm ready to overlook the slight decrease in taste, for a better price. That's how the consumer thinks. There are so many times that I wanted to get this, but I backtracked at the end because it's like 15-20% more than regular meat

[@duerf5826]

They’re suffering a huge lost even at the current price structure lol. Business model was unsustainable from the beginning.

[@Distress.]

@S S the vegetables in these burgers are just as subsidized so that's not it.

[@djamilawilschke7259]

@@duerf5826 nope, the business model itself is not the issue, the growth strategy is though. it was all in the report, if a new product cuts profits by 5bn due to excessive production cost, then this is a product not to be launched, otherwise the rest of the core products have to subsidize through higher prices.

[@CashisKingtrucking]

I think it comes down to the product. The stock has fallen because the product's not that good. I think a lot of people tried it once like myself and never tried it again.

[@Dan16673]

I like em but insanely priced

[@AV57]

Really? I’m kind of a culinary snob, but I think Beyond is quite good. I’ve not had a bad product from them yet, though, they are pricey.

[@djamilawilschke7259]

it is a matter of taste, what you did not like, a lot of others liked - I tested it with a lot of friends during dinner parties etc. and the majority truly liked it, as the report portrays there were more fundamental problems of company steering involved - and “Impossible” is growing with a similar product taste

[@newzinski6946]

True, I had them about two weeks then got sick of the flavor. There's something weird tasting that becomes gross after repeat times

[@thoryon7767]

I dont get everybody here pretending its good, its expensive af and tastes nothing like meat, its passible at best and even the "climate friendly" claim is dubious at best.

[@STEVEARABIA1]

Have a good product and it will do well. Hype doesn’t last long.

[@animalsarebeautifulpeople3094]

It's actually pretty good. Their meatballs are phenomenal

[@antonioc3743]

@@animalsarebeautifulpeople3094 like expensive wine... that's just the taste of price

[@animateit4642]

@@antonioc3743 true why would people buy the similar thing to meat according to the company when meat is clearly cheaper than beyond meat products

[@frankie9953]

@@animateit4642 more humane than meat perhaps is a big reason.

[@yubinator7455]

@@animateit4642 couple of reasons. Some of them is being more humane and non-meat eaters could taste meat, especially those whose religion ban meat consumption.

[@sunnygill1087]

Just like many other meme stocks, Beyond was everywhere. Reality kicks in and the real value of the stocks and company start showing.

[@AV57]

Beyond is at least delivering products to market, unlike Theranos, Tesla, Solar Roads, cryptocurrency. Investors just got too hyped too fast for Beyond at first.

[@sunnygill1087]

@@AV57 Theranos story is my favourite lol

[@djamilawilschke7259]

i wouldn’t call it “meme” stocks though - it has nothing to do with the actual “meme” meaning - it is a hyped company that lost traction, but still was a real company of substance that developed and produced products - in contrast “meme” crypto coins are nothing of substance

[@allananderson949]

@@AV57 are you comparing manufacturing an electric car to a vegetable sausage?

[@AV57]

@@allananderson949 I’m comparing the ability of companies to deliver products to market. Some do it. Some don’t.

[@regisnyder]

They should have concentrated on the items that made them famous for! Stop trying to flood the market with items that haven’t been thoroughly researched or planned. That’s just bad business practices.

[@badluck5647]

It seems odd to focus on expanding the catalog when market penetration is so limited.

[@Cholatemilk1]

It's amazing people eat these disgusting soy products, they have literally everything you don't want to eat in them, insane amounts of hormone disruptors, extruded seed oils, and titanium dioxide just to name a few

[@badluck5647]

@@Cholatemilk1 It is not make of soy. It is mostly lima beans and salt with beat juice for color.

[@DrWaSaBe]

Symptoms of a Bull market, they probably had too much money and pressure to create more revenue

[@djamilawilschke7259]

couldn’t agree more, their core products were and are great - restaurants brand it in their burger menus because of the taste, sadly a great and successful product is more dependent on wise stewardship of the respective management - wanting too much too fast too soon is rarely the recipe for sustainable growth

[@FullOfSpuds]

I feel like a big part is that Beyond products are not worth the price. There are a ton of much cheaper meat alternatives that taste the same or better, e.g. Tescos own brand Plant Cheff and Meatless Farm are both nicer in my opinion, and far cheaper.

[@Benjamin-1776-]

And the whole "vegetarian/vegan food tastes like relative garbage" factor may have also played a role

[@Dawg7227]

Meat alternatives are terrible for your health. They’re all loaded with seed and vegetable oils that are definitely not good for you. If you’re into vegan diets, you need to do it right, or it way more detrimental to your health than meat.

[@redburtley6021]

That's right. I got pork at just 2.97 a pound. What a bargain. I bought ten pounds and ate it up in three sittings. Delicious.

[@sortasurvival5482]

I like to call it the aol effect. The frontliner of an industry rarely becomes the behemouth. Think how aol pioneered, then other companies surpassed, myspace and facebook, tesla is currently falling to other evs... First one paves the market, the successor takes it.

[@SisterFromAnotherPlanet]

@@sortasurvival5482 Don't forget Blackberry, too! They were the pioneers of the smartphone, and the only operating system secure enough for Presidents...then couldn't keep up with apps and died. I still miss that tactile keyboard😪

[@Repoboba]

I'm from Europe. The price of Beyond products in my area is around 1.5-2 times larger than other vegetarian brand options. Even if I liked Beyond products a lot, they are too expensive.

[@jewellui]

What did you think of the taste?

[@Repoboba]

@@jewellui , can't tell for sure, I tried it when I was pregnant when taste buds were different. Burger seemed very similar to meat one :)

[@giorgiofilippi8870]

I am in France, here in Paris that is not the case, they distribute beyond in normal grocery stores and are usually the same price of Heura et similia.

[@c10_c10]

Slow and steady is the best way to grow. Introduce the product through partnerships and through restaurants before trying to go all out. Focus on a few key products that do well, build and improve on those before offering too many side products.

[@organizedchaos4559]

No, their problem is plant based meat isn’t what they though it is. Plant based meat will never be mainstream and the the real thing.

[@787.shaman]

@@organizedchaos4559 yup

[@drac124]

@@organizedchaos4559 If that was true, the Impossible Foods wouldn't be growing by 49%.

[@Allen-L-Canada]

Great ideas, poor execution.

[@AV57]

@@organizedchaos4559 is that your war-cry?

[@eszterfodor1136]

I heard from almost all doctors on youtube how unhealthy ultra-processed foods are. I wouldn't touch these.

[@dinok7630]

So many people mention they are eating them because they are a healthier alternative to meat, and its also cruelty free! Sure, if you dont want to eat meat because it comes from mammal life, dont, but there is no way that is healthier than meat.

[@anniechartrand9471]

That's my biggest complaint about beyond products too. They taste good but also have canola oil and "natural flavors".

[@zeenkosis]

Yupp I also stopped there and created hormonal issues for me

[@cudgee7144]

@@anniechartrand9471 They are just a vegie version of spam. The old adage comes into play, " If It Comes Out Of A Factory, Don't Put It Into Your Mouth ". All these manufactured products use cheap oils, increasing our intake of Omega - 6 oils causing the massive increase in inflamation particularly of the cardio vascular system. I won't, or only very rarely, eat any thing that is made in a factory on a production line. Take care. 😍

[@me-myself-i787]

It doesn't matter how much something is processed. What matters is what is inside. Huel is healthy, for example. Just avoid eating too much polyunsaturated fat (found in most vegetable oils) and sugar. Check the nutritional information label for both ingredients (polyunsaturated fat = total fat - saturated fat (unless it contains olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil and not much of any other vegetable oil; those three are mostly monounsaturated fat); sugar = total sugars). Also, don't eat anything containing trans fat. Also, try to eat stuff with lots of fibre (listed as dietary fiber).

[@Wildboy789789]

I can tell you as an early investor... i used to eat beyond brats, they were brown, they tasted fantastic, and had the texture of ground meat... about 2 months in i happened to notice their recepie changed and was awful, its purple color, the flavor was cat food, and the texture was wavy like intestine or paper... i dont know why they changed the recipie, if it was cost or safty, but that killed demand, i noticed no one was buying the packs in grocery stores anymore, and i sold my stocks

[@MK_ULTRA420]

Those first batches were sold at a loss to entice new customers.

[@adampeters1241]

Interesting video! I think the competitors issue is pretty massive. It’s not just Impossible, there are tons of options in the grocery store now.

[@johniii8147]

I don't buy any of them. It's actually healthier to eat real meat. This fake stuff if full of chemicals and sodium.

[@kingshark247]

It's also because the ingredients are mostly artificial. People switch over to vegetarian diets to be healthy, not to incorporate junk food. Health wise you are better off eating a grass fed burger than one artificial made with fake blood to simulate the real thing

[@adampeters1241]

@@kingshark247 that is not why their stock is falling.

[@adampeters1241]

@@johniii8147 that is irrelevant to their stock price falling in the last two years.

[@beccasteele6874]

But not tons of vegan options without soy, which I'm anaphylactic reaction allergic to

[@RNCHFND]

It should be cheap, not more expensive than actual meat

[@carmiethompson2676]

Yes, keep it cheap...because your health isn't that important nor your Family's. That actual meat(as opposed to real meat I guess) is to expensive.

[@mauriciosolano9342]

@@carmiethompson2676 they will make meat more expensive than fake meat Fake meat will not be cheaper We will have meat expensive with taxes In 2 years we will have chicken, pork and other types of meat taxes bill proposed....

[@drac124]

Should be, but its never the case. Just like natural products, that have like 2 or 3 ingredients are actually a lot more expensive than regular ones with 10 ingredients like conservatives and additives.

[@lucaskp16]

@@carmiethompson2676 it should be cheap because it tastes worse than the actual thing and people only buy it because they are vegan or some other reason. not because you need it to be healthy. is not needed in anyone diet vegan or not is just an expensive nice to have.

[@Secondary_Identifier]

You know, I had the same thought, doing a quick Google check here.... Oh hey, in the US, beef and dairy are government subsidized agricultural products to the tune of almost $40,000,000,000 USD. Huh.

[@sie4431]

I think a lot of people are like me, bought the Beyond Burger based on the hype and then discovered it was awful. Maybe the stock price rose based on the assumption that it was more than a novelty.

[@GoodToCU88]

same boat

[@nevis4567]

There are also a lot of people who see Beyond as an incredible accomplishment in creating a great substitute for killing animals. I believe this should not be overlooked. When you look into it, the meat industry is one of the cruelest on the planet

[@jeremiahinvests]

@@nevis4567 A great substitute filled with vegetable oils

[@djamilawilschke7259]

@@nevis4567 if not the cruelest … and corrupt

[@djamilawilschke7259]

@@jeremiahinvests vegetables are not being killed at the incomprehensible rate than animals - to even call it “production” is only a way to detach from the life of billions of animals

[@rubin6920]

If you want me to stop eating meat, make it cheaper than meat. Like isn't this thing mostly beans why is it so expensive

[@Clove_Parma]

No, it’s not mostly beans. Those were the cheap brands

[@Dayvit78]

I'm going to agree though. Either it has to taste better or it has to be cheaper (or more convenient, but that's not relevant here). Don't try to be a premium brand with an inferior product.

[@TheBajamin]

Its literally pea protein and canola oil and coconut oil. Two of those things you shouldn't be eating.

[@patrickbateman1660]

@@TheBajamin canola is bad. Bad pea protein and coconut oil aren't bad

[@ColinTherac117]

@mipmipmipmipmip As others have said, all food is heavily subsidized, including the peas, coconuts, and or whatever else goes into making vegan food.

[@asimplewanderer6101]

So interesting. I prefer the taste and feel of Beyond Meat over Impossible, though, both are good and I'll always buy the cheaper one.

[@lotteneri4749]

Insightful. Using Kim Kardashian in ads was also a huge mistake. It's already too expensive and you pay this airhead to speak for your brand? Embarrassing and incredibly out of touch. Anyone who thinks, especially health conscious or extreme(ly BRAND LOYAL) vegan people, don't want to see a brand pander like this. It makes a lot of sense now with how rushed and desperate their strategy was. There is still the discussion of its actual nutrition but for vegetarians or whoever looking to just have a normal BBQ or dinner out I can see it being a pseudo-staple (like cola, not like a must-have every grocery trip but I'd be upset if the DIET or VEGAN or GF option wasn't there at a restaurant even though idc about any of those things). I don't think this product is nutrionally adequate to eat as a daily meat replacement. It is extremely proceeded and does belong in fast food. It's simply eco-friendly junk food. Most of their fans, including myself, agree with that as well. I wish they had been more careful, but their failure will only set an example for the now growing market they played a part in opening.

[@blkyndy]

Fake, aire filled - processed fast food that only looks good on the outside. It seems like the Kardashians and the average American are the perfect mascot and consumers for this kind of products.

[@axelrod-_-]

yes kardashian family is gross to watch.

[@flakgun153]

It's not eco friendly. The amount of processed plant material required is extremely energy and water intensive to produce.

[@jpcaretta8847]

Kardzdhian is a cow ! How insane to use that to promote artificial meat ? I see SAVE A COW

[@TheCelticsAREboss]

@@flakgun153 It's much more eco friendly than animal farming

[@webapple1]

I think firstly its expensive as heck , it does taste good but here its like $20 for 2 patties... so i rarely ever buy it. also i think the broader market especially vegans are looking closer at ingredients of items and just dont want to be served chemicals and weird mixes of things.

[@BazilBr0ketail]

I’m not sure if it’s because of region or you are out of date but I usually buy it for about half that. Still much more expensive than something like tofu though

[@webapple1]

@@BazilBr0ketail can get just plain tofu 500g for $5.50

[@MMalke]

They're so not $20 for 2 patties. They go for 7 bucks.

[@shylanngunn7544]

@@MMalke I was just about to say that. I'm from TN and it cost 5.99-7.99 for two patties or around $10 for a big package.

[@FireEverLiving]

I eat very little meat mainly because I just find it much more convenient to use products which can sit in the fridge for at least a few weeks. But I also try to avoid heavily processed foods. So my main protein sources are dairy, eggs, beans, and tofu. Beyond Meat is too processed for me, and having to thaw it is inconvenient; at that point I'd rather just eat meat. Personally, I'd be most interested in better-tasting pre-flavored tofu and tempeh.

[@ProductShroomz]

I get you on the inconvenience of thawing beyond meat. I just buy a few packs and put them in the fridge

[@MrSupernova111]

Dairy doesn't last "a few weeks."

[@FireEverLiving]

@@MrSupernova111 Yogurt lasts 4-6 weeks unopened, and cheese several months. I don't drink normal milk exactly because it's so perishable; instead I drink almond milk or instant dry milk (which tastes similar to fresh milk but has ~unlimited shelf life).

[@mikea5745]

@@FireEverLiving Your taste buds and digestive tract must be destroyed. Months old cheese? Month old yogurt? Dry milk tastes the same as fresh milk to you? I'm gagging just thinking about it

[@alexandrabutoi7562]

You don't have to thaw veggie burgers before you prepare them. You just cook them straight out of the freezer!

[@CL-yp1bs]

I love Beyond products.. but their prices are INSANE

[@justinedwards2496]

The reason beyond’s grocery sales dropped so much is solely because inflation is squeezing consumers bank accounts so they are cutting back on expensive items that are not necessary (like beyond meat) I’d happily eat it if it wasn’t so expensive, mainly just to get more vegetable in my diet but I’m not gonna do that at its price

[@dinok7630]

Theres no way thats healthy. Eat more vegies and raw veggies. Thats healthy. Processed foods and vegetable oils are bad for you.

[@Hereforthecomments_]

Not because it’s a garbage product?

[@justinedwards2496]

@@Hereforthecomments_ Honestly have never tried the beyond burger or any of their products. I've tried the impossible burger which I thought was pretty good

[@sherice1730]

The flavor of beyond meat didn’t leave much room for adding my own seasonings. So it just tasted the same each time. I cook my real meat differently. I change up the seasonings all the time. I would try beyond meat again if it came unseasoned.

[@keysersoze503]

Was margarine better than butter? Cyclamates better than sugar?

[@rabbitheadgames]

Margarine sales are down to

[@lucaskp16]

those are healthier but taste worse than the actual thing.

[@james10165]

@@lucaskp16 Healthier? lol no

[@williamzk9083]

@@lucaskp16 Modern Margarine were never ever healthier than butter. The science backs that up. The stories of butter and eggs causing cholesterol were just lies and didn't take into account the different good and bad cholesterol or the reality that cholesterol is manufactured in the body not consumed. Eating sugars causes LDL cholesterial which is so small it leaks throiugh the capilaries into the tissue causing inflammation and artherio sclerosis,. The CLA conjugated linolenic acid in grass fed beef actually prevents breast cancer (completely eliminates it in lab mice). We now know the difference between trans-fats (in margarine) and cis-fats in butter. -I have a vegetarian wife (animal lover) and plant based has been bad for her healthy. There are a great many salts in fake meat. You'll feel terrible over a while.

[@pacman9876]

better for the animals.

[@punkdigerati]

Is this why my Costco isn't stocking them anymore? Beyond tastes way better than Impossible. It's not a staple for me, but it's nice to have the option every once in a while.

[@GuRReN1495]

It always bothers me how those "non meat eater" try so hard to consume meat substitute, its ridiculous imo as if you decided to not eat meat then eat beans/tofu, etc instead of trying be half assed at it.

[@stacyarmstrong8275]

I was vegan for a year and a half, and did not eat any of these products. To me, they did not taste much like meat, and they were highly processed. I would (and still do) eat veggie burgers, but they're not pretending to taste like meat. I don't know any meat eaters that would skip over real meat to eat these, so maybe the market for a product like this is just pretty small.

[@amarug]

I am a big meat eater and I don't really care for these "replacement products" but I bought the beyond burger patty once out of curiousity. I made a burger like I would make any normal burger and I found it pretty delicious. Not as nice as the real deal but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I wonder why it tastes bad to so many...

[@mafrugal]

Now it's known to cause cancer.

[@spellcheck5393]

​@@mafrugalwut how Like aint it just mashed beans

[@GarudaLegends]

Because you eat junk food and cant taste the difference between real food and processed food.

[@dmennenoh]

It's not that it tastes bad - it's that it tastes the same as EVERY veggie burger option. Except Impossible. Impossible is great. Beyond is not.

[@garythomas4936]

The stuff is TERRIBLE.

[@William22222]

I've only eaten meat, eggs, and cheese for the past 10 months. Zero plants. Nothing highly processed. No processed sugar. No GMO. Never been healthier or had more energy in my life.

[@FinancialShinanigan]

I'm a BYND bagholder down 87% or $1,800, I'm just holding as a reminder and if it goes up, good, if not, oh well lesson learned

[@donaldharlan3981]

Any stocks, connected to the intellectual property of 'Beyond Meat', is likely fake. 🤑

[@JeslieLaughs]

Let it go

[@jonathanroehm]

Impossible products just simply taste way better then beyond’s in my opinion. That’s why their competitor is growing and they’re doing so bad. Fix the taste issue.

[@Dawg7227]

Also, get the seed and vegetable oils out. It’s very detrimental to overall health.

[@patrickbateman1660]

@@Dawg7227 just wait until you find out what they feed animals and where they are kept 🤮

[@BTTREdits]

@@patrickbateman1660 Doesnt matter with gras fed animals.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

@@patrickbateman1660 Vegans always have to change the subject back to their narcissism lol

[@seattlekarim964]

I enjoy their products and buy them occasionally from the grocery store. Their burgers taste like "just fine" meat burgers and my kids like them. However, I have no brand preference between them and Impossible: I just get the one on sale.

[@ladyeowyn42]

I’m in Seattle too and didn’t even realize those were different brands 😂

[@Frank020]

I like the beyond sausage. more so that the burger it has more consitency, or richer to me. the hot is good. I havent tried impossible. I bought some of the stocks too.

[@ahmadyan1]

Beyond is made from Pea, whereas Impossible is made from Soy. That's why beyond is slightly sweeter than impossible. My personal preference is toward impossible; but both products are highly processed; and I usually would just buy soy instead.

[@TC-kn9kk]

it's simple, make it cheaper than meat. making it a premium product that costs more than meat was the financial and marketing mistake...don't believe me? try it and pay me when there is profit...

[@The_rasta_rant]

You can’t just “ make something cheaper”. There are production and operational costs the need to be recouped

[@thomasdumais8511]

I wonder if they lower the price to undercut traditional beef, would increase sales by converting price conscious shopper into loyal customers.

[@lucaskp16]

a lot of people would eat it if it was cheaper or same price as cheap meat. but no way I am buying a plant based food for more $ than meat for the same weight. it just feels wrong.

[@nickoargua94]

^This was supposed to be the moral imperative behind the plant-based m**t to begin with. Otherwise it will just be a niche product for us eco-friendly folks. If these companies and their shareholders really cared about increasing total market demand quickly they would do your suggested pricing strategy.

[@DwightStJohn-w1l]

where I am they would have to PAY for locations on the meat freezer next to real meat, and not just in the freezer. someone has to pay for that with a manuf. product. the real meat doesn't. they have "costs" to keep in front of the consumer meat doesn't have, so if they go to lower prices that's long term stuff. NONE of these plays are really looking at long term.

[@panic_seller]

the stock price doesn't necessarily reflect company performance, I want to see their Financial Sheets. Literally every stock is falling does it mean all these companies are doing wrong

[@bersah4517]

Beyond Meat prices in the store defy logic. Why on Earth would you pay more money for plant-based meat? They are appealing to the rich vegan runner niche not to mainstream consumers.

[@ss9O]

I like the think it's because most people tend to think it might be more environmentally friendly.

[@EraLuna13]

I'm in Canada and Beyond, Impossible all plant based "meat like" burgers, sausages are all way too expensive for a family to eat. I remember when they came out they said they'd eventually be cheaper then traditional burgers. It's also a hit and miss if you can get them in stock.

[@ZakFlying-pz5zj]

I am vegan and I have been eating the Impossible Burger at Burger King. It is delicious. I support Beyong Meat, and I would like to work with them in the future. I am a native American vegan andi have a lot of ideas to discuss with someone in this industry.

[@digigalbytes2445]

I work in the Foodservice industry in Australia & agree with the majority of the comments here; the burgers are IMO the best “meat replacement” (vs merely veggie patties) on the market but the recent influx of good competitors at half the price has immensely damaged Beyond’s market share. Unless you have a Soy allergy or certain gynaecological cancers, why would you pay double for soy-free? It’s a shame though as they were both ground breaking and delicious but it’s almost impossible (hehe) to convince a chef to put them on the menu when they care about the bottom line.

[@smonyboy]

Cant expect real meat eaters to switch if your product isnt cheaper.

[@lucaskp16]

yep nop chance i would eat it if it was cheaper than meat. it just feels wrong paying more for beans and veggies by weight compared to cow meat where you need a lot of pounds of green to get that pound of meat

[@davidcantor293]

@@lucaskp16 That is the point... the amount of green it takes to get that meat is not sustainable. Our livestock is also generally not tested for disease or cancers. Imagine how many cows have undiagnosed cancer or other types of disease which clearly reduces the quality of meat.

[@HariKrishna-sy1kp]

The stupidity of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods is that they tried to introduce Immitation meat into a market that's only marginally vegetarian. You can't make meat eaters switch to vegetarian food just by marketing gimmicks. They should have instead focused on production and sales in a country where vegetarianism is so widespread that even the non-vegetarians follow the practice of abstaining from meat at least twice a week. Yup, they should have launched in India. Production costs would have lowered significantly. They could have partnered with McDonald's and KFC to sell faux-chicken burgers for the vegetarian days, refined their product range and then introduced the culmination of their research in a market like US. But the west has a habit of looking at everything with their myopic western world view and what could have been a great idea is left to die.

[@BeutyInsideNOut]

I think many people like myself realized eating the beef burger was actually much moreee healthier then a soy gmo product.. My body and skin didn't like it at all.

[@patrickbateman1660]

Lol no. Beef burgers are from cows fed nothing but GMO food and chemicals. A beef burger is the opposite of healthy.

[@BeutyInsideNOut]

@@patrickbateman1660 I always try to go for grass fed organic beef.

[@mariharrik5987]

@mipmipmipmipmip cows eat grass

[@RedDeadRobot]

Doesn't matter what you make when people can't afford it. Vegetarian food in general (the one's that taste good/decent) is double the price of meat. My wife is vegetarian and she never buys fake meat or meat substitute unless it's on offer.

[@viewtifuljon8105]

I bought some at a high price a while ago, it dipped about 20-25% the week after. Thankfully it gained it all just a few more weeks after that. It spooked me and I sold for a tiny profit.

[@hus390]

I watched Mark Rob video about their products. They are actually better than the old vegan patties. They try to have the plant based meat taste like actual meat, sizzle like meat and look like one. That will save hundreds of thousands of miles which dedicated to grow stuff for animal (cattle, chickens) consumption. Instead we can grow more food for ourselves.

[@fakesox3550]

That's a straight-up lie. Animals eat the inedible plants that we can't and don't. We don't grow crops specifically for animal feed. It's one of the biggest lies vegans have been pushing for over 30 years.

[@theodorethompson9032]

before we stop feeding animals to eat lets stop using corn for our fuel...

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

@@theodorethompson9032 we can do two things at the same time.

[@donaldharlan3981]

Any stocks, connected to the intellectual property of 'Beyond Meat', is likely fake. 🤑

[@sssspider]

For what purpose? Who is this product even made for? Nobody who actually enjoys eating meat will settle for this inferior, more expensive substitute, and I feel like most vegetarians wouldn’t particularly care about accurately emulating the experience of eating meat. There is plenty of great-tasting vegetarian cuisine out there that does not list these man-made horrors in their ingredients. This is yet another product of the out-of-touch Silicon Valley elite that fails to consider the needs and wants of normal people, because they assume that the rest of the world is just as eager as they are to throw away their money on expensive fake meat to virtue signal to their rich friends.

[@louisaparker]

The BYND stock price would have to increase 700 percent for me to get back to break-even on this position.

[@o221e3]

Its not the company. Its those who control the meat industry. Billions are invested in all meat products, by a conglomerate who not only controls the meat industry but also pharmacuticals, see where this is going ... 🤔 And that not including those who control the stock market, which tanked in 21-22... Hmmm 🧐 IDK thats my opinion ! They are just one of many companies that are suffering, while others prosper !

[@Recovering_Californian]

I don't need to waste 7 minutes to know the answer: actual real beef will aways be better than plant-based "meat"

[@shrirammaiya9867]

Yes, but I think the argument is that plant based meat has a lesser carbon footprint, wastes lesser water etc. I agree that nothing can replace beef like for like like how nothing can replace plastic in packaging. People are looking away from beef for environmental reasons, not taste reasons.

[@Recovering_Californian]

@@shrirammaiya9867 No ... people are not looking away. I mean, I very small fraction of people are but the vast majority of Americans (and dare I say the world) prefer beef (and chicken, pork, etc) over fake stuff. If consumers actually wanted/liked fake meat Beyond Meat would have been a success.

[@tinknal6449]

I think the thing people need to remember is that the vast majority of people who adopt the vegetarian or vegan diets abandon them. This means that these companies constantly need to build a new customer base.

[@magalissantiago2817]

Not true, they just start eating healthier nonprocessed foods and don't eat this stuff any more, vegan is ethical life style not a hip moment thing.

[@tinknal6449]

@@magalissantiago2817 Statistic back this up. Statistics actually compiled by the animal rights industry.

[@funmilayotijani3119]

The amount of processed stuff in it is a huge turn off. I'd rather just have the real thing, at least it's natural

[@benny.pepper]

1. processed doesn't mean it's unhealthy, but in this case it's indeed true beyond meat patties is just plant based replacement for junk food ones 2. the real thing (meat) is definetely not natural, from the selective breeding, antibiotics, vitamins shots, etc that they inject or mixed with cattle's feed. so whether something is natural or not doesn't really matter in terms of nutritional value.

[@AlanSmith88888]

This is so misleading. Prior to the pandemic pump, the stock price wasn’t exactly high. Like most companies who are flimsy and have bad financials, their stock price plummeted due to money coming out of the markets and into fixed deposits and bonds.

[@JinNani224]

Well…if you can survive this year. You can survive next year

[@lidarman2]

I love t heir spicy Italian sausages. Burgers are okay but Impossible patties are better. When the Jerky came out, I was like "Holy cow, this is perfect jerky." But then after eating the jerky again, a few days later, I realized there is this weird taste memory that builds every time some jerky is had. But I hope they survive because nobody makes a comparable sausage product.

[@NotDanValentine]

I'm definitely a fan of Beyond Meat as someone that hasn't eaten animal meat for years, but investing in them was probably my worst stock choice :(

[@badluck5647]

I found investing in sin has been great for my portfolio: candy, tobacco, and alcohol

[@kittipongas]

yeah , me too -90% plus

[@mebeasensei]

I dislike things that are not available in local markets and are highly packaged and dependent on huge companies and their logistics..

[@mqb3gofjzkko7nzx38]

I used to like beyond burgers until I discovered black bean burgers.

[@patrickbateman1660]

Yeh it's kind of funny big tech spent billions on this when black bean burgers which cost barely anything taste way better and are healthy.

[@AmanBansil]

I could have told them this: 1) it’s too expensive and 2) too unhealthy. They tried to cover meat eaters. They needed to recruit plant based eaters. Our meat eaters who eat majority plant based.

[@Wong-Jack-Man]

What went wrong? You’re competing with meat.

[@mauriciosolano9342]

@@steveadams7870 grass fed beef is 💕

[@idlechat2622]

@@steveadams7870 u are silly. Go chew on grass u peasant.

[@triadwarfare]

@@steveadams7870 organic is a scam. I'd eat commercial beef everyday.

[@mariharrik5987]

@@triadwarfare no its not commercial beef is unhealthy and animals are treaded horribly go for grass feed but go for commercial beef if you want to be sick

[@phillipharding6610]

It’s gone down because it’s not a food it’s full of Chemicals! Check out the ingredients! Chemicals !

[@jaridkeen123]

Mainly its because its still hard to find in stores. I should walk to the Meat Alse and its right next to the meat. Not in a separate alse

[@Robert-cu9bm]

But it's not meat, why would you want it in the meat Isle.

[@BillieFingers]

Thats how its in the uk.

[@jaridkeen123]

@Robert Because it's a meat substitute. It's a meat like product.

[@ChrisJohnson-pc3pd]

Not to mention the heavy processing makes it unhealthy

[@animalsarebeautifulpeople3094]

The flesh food you eat are eben more HEAVILY processed. In natural state you are actually eating weeks old rotting carcass. It's the processing that keeps you deluded about what you are actually eating. Plus all that saturated fat and cholesterol clogs up your arteries and are carcinogenic

[@emmapasqule2432]

still better than eating animals!

[@blacksquid270]

@@emmapasqule2432 No, eating laboratory Frankenstein meat is not better than eating the real thing. The vitamin and minerals in animals is essential for optimal human health.

[@loth4015]

They're also still advertising "more unsaturated fats", as if not everyone and their mom know the studies by now and know that those are unhealthy.

[@emmapasqule2432]

@@blacksquid270 All those goodie vitamins and minerals (the essential ones) are all in beyond meat too! so it's all good lovely! x you don't need to eat the real thing! xox

[@callicordova4066]

Just read the list of ingredients on these plant-based items. It's ultra-processed "food." Just eat whole vegetables instead.

[@emilysha418]

Tried one, it was meh and it gave me a stomachache. I have a sensitive stomach, so I didn't go for another. I used to eat a store brand meal alternative while I was in Vienna with no issues. Much cheaper and no lead feeling in my stomach!

[@megustAslagt]

I do believe they've had impact. Before beyond, it felt like most meat substitutes were really bad, and after it's felt to me many products improved significantly!

[@BicycleFunk]

I agree. Big companies like beyond and impossible read the room and put in the work to show these products do sell. Now there are so many good options!

[@ladyday438]

I like the Beyond and Impossible meat alternatives. But had to stop eating it because of the high oil and calories content. Plus sometimes I would get headaches after eating the Beyond burger.

[@맛집전문가]

I love beyond meat but it's very expensive on overseas.

[@Shadow__133]

Dogs are way cheaper! 🐕 😋

[@Shadow__133]

Dogs are way cheaper! 🐕 🤤

[@맛집전문가]

@Shadow 133 Australian eat rabbit and kangaroo. Chinese people eat all most every things. Japanese people eat dolphins. French people eat snails and goose liver. What else do you want?

[@trancedarkdust90]

It’s too expensive. At least, where I live, its just as much as……meat. Last time I checked, a beetroot did not require an expensive vet.

[@TheStrategyWargamer]

This is the problem. Dumb executives who lack common sense. Ordering packaging without nutrition labels, your better off burning the money at that point

[@donaldharlan3981]

Any stocks, connected to the intellectual property of 'Beyond Meat', is likely fake. 🤑

[@gerardogomez5343]

I use to eat meat with every meal and I could NEVER imagine not eating meat. Now I eat my tacos using beyond meat. Taste amazing.

[@pajass2002]

Nooooi. I love this product so much. I hope they bounce back

[@SuperRockstarVideos]

I like Beyond Meat but it's too expensive, 2 patties for $6 dollars while at Costco you can buy 20 meat patties for $10 dollars.

[@vble2337]

Meat is way healthier and will not cause cancers.

[@cooley987]

So they got cocky and over expanded. Sounds like something they can solve, i wish the industry the best.

[@donaldharlan3981]

Any stocks, connected to the intellectual property of 'Beyond Meat', is likely fake. 🤑

[@sandijohnson4630]

The meatballs are pretty tasty, I must admit. As a meat lover, I'm very impressed.

[@Then.]

I wanted to love these meat substitutes. But my belly just ends up feeling crummy. Maybe they created something we don’t have enzymes for?

[@wellthi]

its the other way around you don't have uricase enzyme to get rid of putrefaction of meat burger but we have the enzyme ptyalin, also known as amylase its in our saliva and its responsible for breaking down starch into simple sugars such as dextrin and maltose

[@ifehansson2254]

It's very highly processed so no surprise if you have digestive issues with it. It's far from natural.

[@zeenkosis]

Yeah it’s highly processed

[@purplerpenguin]

Two problems: (a) Not very good (b) Very expensive. Result: Doom.

[@chhewee]

Too expensive but taste not bad.

[@lucaskp16]

economy is down and it was just a nice to have. not a necessity like other staple foods .

[@RicaAlice]

I was very excited about these when it came to the stores. I purchased a packet of 4 sausages for $22 ( it’s way too expensive ) and when I tried cooking them, it was extremely oily and salty. I ate half and threw them out. 😢 it tasted TERRIBLE.

[@janetclark5668]

All of it -- yuck, yuck, and yuck.

[@coleeckerman1390]

I think if it was significantly cheaper than beef, then more people would work beyond into their diet despite not being vegan/vegetarian

[@ismaileee]

I'm watching this while chilling down on double beef burger 😅😅

[@Voyager_AU]

Beyong Meat Jerky is really good. I hope they continue and don't go out of business.

[@DoktorPaj]

you will eat the bugs and you will be happy

[@ericwalker8382]

If it's so good why do these companies keep comparing their terrible tasting food to meat, I'll wait.

[@Lektuerekurs]

Its simply an unconsumable product in my experience. I'm in Germany. I bought 2 packages of burger pattys, ate one, felt like poison in my stomach and threw away the 2nd.

[@habazlambazazathe6th989]

I wouldn't get it even if it was given for free

[@pacman9876]

you are scared.

[@habazlambazazathe6th989]

@@pacman9876 im not too big on getting soy and estrogen into my system..unlike you soy boy

[@rolandruesch6862]

To make a sausage shape out of plants and stay in that form, you need chemicals and a lot of them. Make it healthy and you have to decrease the amount of chemicals. Look at the label of those sausages , burgers etc. and it will never say 100% vegetables but a lot of stuff that I cannot pronounce or dont know where the farmers grow them.

[@BigBoss-gq2nt]

Bug meat !!!

[@Cassanova23]

Reduce the cost and then more people might be willing to try it

[@chuckrogers5567]

I just had Prime Rib. Delicious.

[@xse-qb2vv]

Wait until we're all starving....we'll be begging for these companies. Im a carnivore, just ate a bag of the Teriyaki flavored Jerky Beyond Meat plant based slow roasted & kettle cooked. It was surprisingly good!

[@harbormelody4633]

Successful people don't become that way overnight. What most people see at a glance- wealth, a great career, purpose-is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life and this new year shall get you closer to your goals and open more opportunities to you

[@niklasheinrich5914]

you've remind me of what someone once said "The mind is the man, the poor is in it and the rich is it too".

[@niklasheinrich5914]

This sentence is the secret of most successful investors.

[@niklasheinrich5914]

and i most tell you the truth.investment is the key that can secure your family future.

[@matildaryan3676]

Starting early is the best way of getting ahead to build wealth, in-vesting remains a priority.

[@matildaryan3676]

I learnt from my last year's experience, i am able to build a suitable life because I in-vest-ed early ahead this time.

[@mistervacation23]

Have you tried the new paper-based burger from Wendy's? Thr Paper is a hundred percent virgin pine from Oregon. No artificial ingredients. Real paper. Taste just like meat!

[@biometal770]

I don’t ever buy traditional ground beef anymore. Always beyond meat

[@habazlambazazathe6th989]

so you're a soy boy

[@mauriciosolano9342]

How does it affect your prolactin and testosterone levels?

[@biometal770]

@@mauriciosolano9342 I feel ok! I don't eat ground beef too much, so I don't think it's a big deal. I eat a lot of chicken. But I like impossible and beyond ground beef much better than traditional ground beef. The taste is better, and there are no pieces of tendon or cartilage.

[@boparks3204]

Oooh I was wondering what happened with the beyond sausage! That was the main thing I liked.

[@libertyblueskyes2564]

Besides, Beyond Meat was so full of stuff I didn't want to ingest that I didn't try it until I went to a restaurant where the vegan burger was all available for a meatless dinner. I could not finish the burger as it tasted off.

[@avee2056]

My primary complaint about Beyond products (and to a degree these alt-meats in general) is that they're overly cavalier that people can just stop eating meat and eat this instead. I cannot eat these products because they have sunflower byproducts in them, which I am allergic to. I'm not saying they have to cater to every allergy, I'm saying it's dismissive to talk about this like it's a catch-all solution to the problem of the meat industry. It isn't. I think their cavalier and overly-optimistic attitude shows in the issue their company has faced, as discussed in the video.

[@majide6086]

Beyond Meat had a disruptive idea but their marketing efforts focused on targeting a limited 'vegan' consumer base while the rest felt alienated.