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Beyond Meat adds caffeine to protein drink as competition mounts. The company continues to innovate its protein beverages while looking to differentiate from the plant-based meat segment it became known for. Published Oct. 15, 2026 Beyond Meat is doubling down on beverages with a new line of caffeinated, sparkling protein drinks. Beyond Immerse Protein + Energy includes 160 milligrams of caffeine from coffee beans. It also has a variety of functional ingredients including 20 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, antioxidants and electrolytes. The energy line will be available in cherry berry and watermelon strawberry flavors on Beyond's e-commerce website. The company is also launching two new flavors under its Beyond Immerse protein drinks, including limoncello ginger and yuzu grapefruit. Beyond entered the beverage category at the beginning of this year as a way to grow its portfolio beyond the plant-based meat substitutes it is known for. This year, it dropped the word "Meat" from its name, and further built out its protein portfolio to include powders and bars. While protein has increasingly become an in-demand ingredient, the plant-based meat category has struggled. The company hasn't given up on plant-based meat. Executives view beverages and other extensions as a way to help its core plant-based meat segment and recruit new customers. Since launching protein drinks, Beyond has added new flavors to the lineup. Now, with the addition of caffeine, Beyond is looking to compete in a growing segment of energy protein drinks. As a sparkling protein drink, Beyond Immerse competes with offerings from Premier Protein, C4 Energy and Proda. The company's caffeinated protein beverage will go up against energy drink giant Monster, which recently announced it was debuting a caffeinated, canned protein shake.

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.