Plant-based faux meat specialist Beyond Meat on June 11 announced the official opening of its first production facility in Europe. The co-manufacturing plant in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands, which is owned and operated by Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat, will produce Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage products for distribution in EMEA markets.
The Beyond Burger is promoted as “the world’s only burger that looks, cooks, and tastes like ground beef from cows but is made entirely from plants, without GMOs, soy or gluten.” It packs more protein and iron than beef and is a cholesterol-free food, with less saturated fat than beef. A 100% vegan quarter-pound Beyond Burger sold in grocery stores in the United States has 4 grams of saturated fat and 22 grams of total fat, compared to an 80/20 beef burger’s 9 grams of saturated fat and 23 grams of total fat.
Production at the Zandbergen facility will also include the upcoming debut of new packaging for the meat alternative product line. The lighter, more sustainable pack design aligns with Beyond Meat’s commitment to sustainability and will feature fully recyclable trays and 30% less material overall by reducing paper and plastic use.
In other news this week, El Segundo, California-headquartered Beyond Meat marked a milestone with the acquisition of a factory in Europe in Enschede, the Netherlands. The company-owned facility will be the first outside of Missouri, USA to handle its innovative approach to texturizing plant proteins, the first step in the alternative meat maker’s manufacturing process. The factory is expected to be operational by the end of 2020, allowing for end-to-end manufacturing capabilities in Europe.
“This latest investment in production capacity reflects our continued commitment to serving global markets,” said Ethan Brown, founder and chief executive officer of Beyond Meat. “Our new facility in Enschede will not only bring production closer to the consumer, representing an investment in the markets and communities we serve, but is expected to allow us to leverage local supply chains, improving our cost structure and sustainability of operations. We are excited to take this next step in bringing the nutritional and environmental benefits of our plant-based meats to the European consumer.”
“As the demand for plant-based protein and particularly Beyond Meat products grows in Europe and the Middle East, the official opening of this co-manufacturing facility in Zoeterwoude is timely,” said Adriaan Figee, chief commercial officer of Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat.
Zandbergen, a family-owned frozen and chilled meat specialty company founded in 1947, has been distributing Beyond Meat products in Europe for the past two years.
Meanwhile, the value of Beyond Meat stock (BYND) rose 22% on June 8 after the company announced a partnership Sinodis, a subsidiary of Savencia, to expand distribution in China. The French company supplies imported food products to over 4500 wholesalers, hotels and restaurant chains in the PRC.
