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Beyond Meat Moves from Burger to Can

Jan 16
1 min read
Beyond Meat Moves from Burger to Can visual media slide

Beleaguered Beyond Meat is no longer just trying to fix dinner with its plant-based meat, it’s coming for your drink can. The company has launched Beyond Immerse, a sparkling functional beverage line full of plant protein, fibre, antioxidants and electrolytes, positioning it as a lighter alternative to heavy protein shakes. Three flavours, two protein tiers (10g and 20g), and a limited-run release via the Beyond Test Kitchen from January 15. On the surface, it looks like innovation. Underneath, it looks like survival.


This move lands at a fragile moment for plant-based meat. Beyond’s Q3 revenue dropped 13% year-on-year, and the category is still fighting a perception problem with consumers not instinctively associating plant-based meat with protein. Meanwhile, protein beverages have surged 122% between 2020 and 2024 according to Innova Market Insights. In other words, Beyond isn’t just launching a drink, it’s stepping into a faster-moving lane where protein is already understood, accepted, and commercially rewarded.


So is this diversification, or a quiet admission burgers alone won’t rebuild growth? The subtext is hard to miss as consumers increasingly want protein “outside the centre of the plate.” If plant-based meat can’t own the protein narrative, Beyond is betting functional beverages can—bringing the brand into everyday health rituals rather than weekend barbecues.



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