Beyond Meat's Starmatter protein powder gets clean-label Purity Award. By Anay Mridul Published on Oct 14, 2026 Last updated Oct 14, 2026 4 Mins Read US plant-based giant Beyond Meat's new protein powder range, Starmatter, has earned a Purity Award from the Clean Label Project, placing it among the top third of certified products within its category. Beyond Meat is building on its clean-label legacy through one of its newest product lineups. The El Segundo-based firm last month unveiled Beyond Starmatter, a range of plant-based protein powders with probiotics and functional ingredients, as part of a wider Phytosphere portfolio aimed at broadening its offerings truly beyond meat. Now, Starmatter has received a Purity Award from the Clean Label Project, joining more than 20 Beyond products with a certification from the organisation amid the Nasdaq-listed firm's turnaround efforts. The Purity Award goes beyond contaminant testing, recognising products that perform among the top one-third in their category, based on rigorous independent testing and benchmarking for hidden contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, plasticisers, and other requirements. These toxins are not listed on labels, so by testing products for their presence and comparing them with the category's bestsellers, the Clean Label Project aims to boost food safety and transparency to help consumers make more informed choices. A 'testament' to Beyond Meat's transparency and accountability. Beyond Starmatter is made from a base of pea and fava bean protein, which are blended with L-methionine, beta-glucan, soluble tapioca fibre and oat bran, extracts with polyphenols, plant sterols, biotin, adaptogenic mushrooms, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, natural flavours, and stevia leaf extract. They deliver 20g of protein and 5g of fibre per 37g scoop, and are available in plain, vanilla, strawberry-banana, salted caramel, and golden latte flavours on the Beyond the Plant Protein Company website. "We designed Beyond Starmatter to provide consumers with a strong foundation of the superpowers of plants," said Beyond founder and CEO Ethan Brown. "We are very pleased to receive the Clean Label Project's Purity Award for this exciting product, an award that validates the tremendous focus we place on delivering taste and nutrition with quality ingredients." The clean-label focus is reflective of the consumer landscape in the US, where 82% of shoppers believe the fewer artificial or unfamiliar ingredients a food has, the healthier it is. Meanwhile, 69% check labels to avoid highly processed ingredients, and 80% prefer familiar ingredients over artificial additives. According to Innova Market Insights, more than a third of food and beverage launches in North America contained a clean-label claim last year, with no additives/preservatives being the top highlighted attribute. "Consumers deserve to know what is in their products, including what may not appear on an ingredient label," outlined Molly Hamilton, executive director of the Clean Label Project. "The Clean Label Project Purity Award identifies products that have gone the extra mile through independent testing and benchmarking, and Beyond Starmatter's achievement is a testament to Beyond Meat's commitment to transparency and accountability." Beyond bets on clean labels to win consumers back. The Starmatter powders are part of the Beyond Star Series, which includes a line of savoury jerky-like protein bars called Starcut. "The Beyond Star Series reflects the idea that the elements underlying phytonutrition originated in exploding stars and are transformed by plants into nutrients available to us today," a company spokesperson told Green Queen last month. The packaging of these products marks a departure from the firm's other products. Instead of the signature green design, the protein powders and bars come in a night-sky-inspired midnight blue tint with a gradiented Beyond logo. The wider Phytosphere range also includes veggie burgers and Beyond Immerse, a line of sparkling protein drinks unveiled at the start of the year. "Protein builds and repairs muscle, fibre supports digestive health, plant sterols help maintain cholesterol levels already within the healthy range, and electrolytes and carbohydrates support performance and recovery," the spokesperson said last month. "Yet these nutrients are often left behind in the modern Western diet. That's why we built the Phytosphere - a place where all are welcome and the superpowers of plants are abundant and convenient." These products are part of an effort to reinvigorate consumer interest in its brand, which has suffered from six consecutive quarters of revenue decline and a record-low share price that needed an artificial boost just to stay afloat on the stock market. Since the latter move two months ago, Beyond's share price has fallen by over 46%. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal this week, Brown called the financial struggles "very, very tough" and admitted that the confusion around the brand's positioning has "denigrated" it. The latest award comes months after it secured Clean Label Project certification for its mycelium-based steak filet, its non-meat-mimicking fava bean mince, and the Beyond Immerse line, the hope being that the accreditation will distinguish it from the ultra-processed tag that has plagued consumers. Polling shows that over seven in 10 Americans are trying to avoid ultra-processed foods, and 38% identify them as products with artificial additives, chemicals, dyes, or hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Beyond isn't sure how investors will respond to the expanded portfolio, but Brown told the Journal: "We'll get through it." * Anay Mridul Anay is Green Queen's resident news reporter. Originally from India, he worked as a vegan food writer and editor in London, and is now travelling and reporting from across Asia. He's passionate about coffee, plant-based milk, cooking, eating, veganism, food tech, writing about all that, profiling people, and the Oxford comma. View all posts

Beyond Meat signals shift toward nutrient stacking in plant-based foods. 07 Oct 2026 | By Insha Naureen | Last updated: 08 Oct 2026 [12:29 UTC] Key takeaways. * Beyond Meat's Phytosphere concept reflects a shift from meat replacement toward multi-benefit plant nutrition. * Roquette sees growing demand for plant protein combined with fiber and other nutrients across more food categories. * Nutrient stacking creates formulation challenges around taste, texture, solubility, and processing performance. Plant protein company Beyond Meat's recent move toward nutrient stacking reflects a wider shift from meat replacement toward multi-benefit plant nutrition. The approach taps a broader formulation trend - combining plant protein with fiber, phytonutrients, and other functional ingredients rather than relying on protein alone. Through its Phytosphere platform, Beyond has brought together powders, beverages, bars, and center-of-plate products that offer consumers combinations of plant protein and other nutrients, including fiber, polyphenols, and phytosterols. The Phytosphere strategy provides a consumer-facing example of this shift. Food Ingredients First speaks with Benjamin Voiry, head of marketing Plant Proteins at Roquette, about what it means for ingredient formulation and how plant protein is moving into broader nutrition-led applications. Plant protein moves beyond meat alternatives. Last month, Beyond Meat launched three new product concepts: Beyond Starcut, a savory plant-based jerky bar (17 g of protein), Beyond Starmatter, a plant protein powder combining 20 g of protein with fiber and phytonutrients, and Beyond Veggie, a vegetable-forward burger format providing 12 g of protein, 6 g of fiber, and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. The Beyond Burger manufacturer has been expanding beyond its traditional alternative meat solutions against a backdrop of weakness in the wider plant-based meat category. Sales in plant-based meat declined by 26% in the two years to 2023, and consumer demands dipped. Beyond Meat's Phytosphere portfolio lets consumers stack plant protein, fiber, polyphenols, and phytosterols across multiple formats (Image credit: Beyond Meat).Earlier this year, the company also expanded into functional beverages, tapping into protein fortification, gut health, and GLP-1-friendly nutrition trends. Voiry agrees that brands are using plant-based proteins to explore more nutrition-led applications and products that deliver holistic health benefits. This aligns with Innova Market Insights' 2026 "Authentic Plant-Based" trend, with 55% of global consumers agreeing that plant-based foods should be considered as their own category. Demand for nutrient-dense, convenient products is also being reinforced by online trends such as "proteinmaxxxing" and diets shaped by GLP-1 weight loss medication use, adds Voiry. He describes protein as a "strong driver of innovation" but argues that the opportunity is increasingly about what plant-based formulations can offer beyond simply providing protein content in meat-free applications. "Protein enrichment is also expanding, growing in everyday categories such as bakery and dairy, as well as specialized nutrition. Together, these developments point to a broader role for plant protein. It's no longer confined to replacing animal proteins in meat substitutes." High protein evolves into multi-benefit nutrition. Beyond Meat's Phytosphere concept exemplifies a broader move away from single-benefit positioning. The approach allows individual products to address several nutritional attributes rather than relying solely on a high-protein claim. Brenda Heather, nutrition expert and senior contributor at Meo Nutrition, tells Food Ingredient First that the approach reflects a broader change in formulation priorities. "Stacking fiber and phytonutrients alongside plant protein suggests formulators are designing for the whole nutritional picture instead of one headline nutrient." Voiry says this multi-benefit approach opens up opportunities to bring key nutrients together in convenient, appealing formats. Benjamin Voiry: The key challenge is maintaining the consumer experience as nutritional content increases."As the category evolves, we expect communication to move beyond a broad high-protein position toward broader nutrition and health positioning." Combining complementary ingredients such as plant proteins and fibers can allow formulators to build products around multiple nutritional benefits, he explains. Heather says the consumer-facing benefit may go beyond nutrient density. "The payoff a shopper actually notices is satiety and steadier energy, because fiber slows digestion and lets the protein do more work." Voiry cites Roquette's Nutralys pea protein range and Nutriose soluble fiber as examples of ingredients that can be combined to support protein and fiber positioning while meeting the technical requirements of different applications. "Roquette's Nutriose 06 soluble fiber is designed for use in high-fiber snacks, supporting a balanced glucose response and prolonged energy release. Bringing ingredients like these together can help brands develop products with a more holistic nutritional profile rather than relying on a single proposition or message." "The right combination will, of course, depend on the application and the needs of the finished product." Multi-nutrient formulations raise taste challenges. For formulators, however, adding more nutritional components may increase technical complexity. Stacking proteins, fibers, minerals, and other functional ingredients can affect taste, texture, and processing characteristics, Voiry explains. He identifies solubility, emulsification, and viscosity among the properties that can become more difficult to manage as nutritional density increases. Added fiber can alter texture and cause bloating, making mouthfeel and repeat purchase key."The key challenge is maintaining the consumer experience as nutritional content increases. People have high expectations of taste, texture, and eating experience, whether they're eating a standard product, a nutritionally enhanced version, or a completely new one based on multiple nutrients." Heather also points to a potential downside of nutrient stacking. "But there's a tradeoff nobody mentions on the pack: added fiber changes texture and can cause bloating in people not used to it, so these formulations will be judged on mouthfeel and the second purchase, not the label." Voiry adds that ingredient selection increasingly needs to consider both nutritional composition and technical functionality. "Advances in ingredient processing can improve their functional properties, giving formulators greater flexibility without compromising product performance." Nutrient stacking gains ground. The underlying approach behind Beyond Meat's Phytosphere concept is increasingly visible elsewhere in the market. The nutrient-stacking approach is appearing in finished products. Cargill, for instance, recently showcased a protein and prebiotic soda combining 5 g of protein with 5 g of soluble fiber, while plant-based nutrition brand Ka'Chava's nutrition shakes layer plant protein with fiber, probiotics, micronutrients, omega-3s, and adaptogens. The same concept is visible upstream in ingredient development. US-based Plantible has previously told Chef Robotics, Inc. that its Rubi Protein can simultaneously support texture, nutrition, and sensory performance, while its Lemna Leaf Greens ingredient combines protein, fiber, and micronutrients. While these approaches differ considerably in ingredients, applications, and positioning, they point toward a similar direction of travel - plant protein is increasingly a part of a broader nutritional system rather than acting as the end proposition itself. For ingredient suppliers, this transition creates opportunities beyond supplying higher concentrations of protein.

Judge slashes Beyond Meat's damages by $23.4M in Dunkin' trademark lawsuit. By Anay Mridul Published on Sep 23, 2026 Last updated Sep 23, 2026 4 Mins Read A judge in Massachusetts has reduced Beyond Meat's financial liability in a trademark lawsuit over a Dunkin' ad, axing $23.4M of the overall $38.9M awarded by a jury last year. Months after a jury found Beyond Meat liable to pay nearly $39M for infringing a trademark owned by Sonate (which does business as Vegadelphia Foods), a federal judge has accepted the plant-based meat company's motion to reduce the damages awarded. The sum included $23.5M in actual damages for the infringement, and another $15.4M in disgorgement of its profits. At the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Justice Indira Talwani cut the amount Beyond owes for the former by $23.4M, totalling just $37,500. Both sides can pursue further motions or appeals to the judgment. But as it stands, Beyond - which was sued over its use of the slogans "Great Taste, Plant-Based" and "Plant-Based, Great Taste" in an advertisement for the Beyond Sausage sandwich at Dunkin' - now needs to pay Vegadelphia $15.44 million, a 60% cut from the jury's original award. Beyond Meat's infringement didn't substantially impact Vegadelphia's valuation. The case emanates from Beyond's 2019 partnership with Dunkin', which introduced the Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich. on its menu. The companies promoted the dish with a commercial featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg and the tagline "Great Taste, Plant-Based" But Vegadelphia, which also sells plant-based meat and was incorporated five years before Beyond, had received a federal trademark for its slogan "Where Great Taste Is Plant-Based" in 2015. So it claimed that Beyond and Dunkin' were using its trademark without permission, arguing that it led to the collapse of acquisition talks with two food industry executives - a deal dubbed "Vegadelphia 2.0" - that could have valued the company at $100M within a few years. The lawsuit was filed in 2022, and Dunkin' settled the case in 2024. Beyond, however, felt the slogans wouldn't cause market confusion and instead accurately described its products. The latter's attorneys suggested that the use of the two phrases in question was distinct enough not to cause a legal issue. But last year, a jury disagreed with the claims that the slogans constituted fair use and were sufficiently different, dismissing Beyond's assertion that Vegadelphia's phrase was a "weak mark" with "no commercial strength" and ruling that the Dunkin' ad would likely confuse consumers. After the verdict in November, Beyond filed a motion to either reduce or eliminate the damages owed, while Vegadelphia sought prejudgment interest and an increase in the disgorgement award. Talwani granted Beyond's request in part, and denied both of the latter's motions. "No reasonable jury could find it probable, based on non-speculative evidence, that Beyond's infringement of Sonate's trademark was a substantial factor in the abandonment of Vegadelphia 2.0," she stated in her ruling. Beyond eyes turnaround following end of latest legal dispute. This is far from the first legal battle the Beyond Burger maker has been embroiled in. In 2024, it settled a class-action lawsuit for $7.5M against claims that it had overstated its products' nutritional benefits, since the protein digestibility of its meat analogues was lower than that of conventional meat. And last year, a judge threw out a class-action lawsuit by investors who alleged the company misled them about its manufacturing capacities, leading to artificially inflated stock prices. Beyond has also won a legal dispute against a former co-manufacturer over the termination of a production agreement, with a judge validating its decision to end the deal and denying the latter's request to reopen the arbitration. At the same time, it is being investigated by a law firm for "potential violations of the federal securities laws". The 15.4M sum it owes to Vegadelphia, though reduced, is still substantial for a financially distressed company like Beyond. For context, it posted revenues of $68.8M in Q2 2026 - the damages account for 22% of this amount. The company has suffered from six consecutive quarters of shrinking revenue and a record-low share price that needed an artificial boost just to stay afloat on the Nasdaq market. To revive its fortunes, it has expanded, well, beyond meat to offer sparkling protein drinks, protein powders and bars, as well as veggie burgers. * Anay Mridul Anay is Green Queen's resident news reporter. Originally from India, he worked as a vegan food writer and editor in London, and is now travelling and reporting from across Asia. He's passionate about coffee, plant-based milk, cooking, eating, veganism, food tech, writing about all that, profiling people, and the Oxford comma. View all posts