Beyond Meat: Hey Taco Bell, thinking about a meat-free option?
Another player to watch in the frozen food case is LA-based plant protein pioneer Beyond Meat, which like plant egg entrepreneur Josh Tetrick, has managed to attract some extremely weather backers including Bill Gates.
The firm - which launched its first products (chicken-free strips made from non-GMO pea and soy protein isolates, soy and carrot fiber, yeast extract, amaranth and non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil) in summer 2012 - recently added beef-free crumbles made from pea protein to its range.
Distribution is growing steadily, with national listings at Whole Foods, Publix and Safeway, among others, says the firm, which generated a significant buzz around its booth at the show by taking photos of visitors urging Taco Bell to sit up and check it out.
While there are scores of meat substitutes on the market, Beyond Meat reckons it has the edge over the competition owing to its "proprietary process that organizes plant proteins into a near-perfect replica of meat".