First spotted in the frozen aisle at Jewel Osco a few weeks ago, the Beyond Steak plant-based seared tips are made from a base of wheat gluten and faba bean protein, and contain 21g protein, 1g saturated fat, and 300mg sodium per serving, according to the Jewel Osco website.
The ingredients are: Water, wheat gluten, faba bean protein, expeller-pressed canola oil, salt, natural flavor, and less than 1% of spice, garlic powder, onion powder, pomegranate concentrate, yeast extract, sunflower lecithin, fruit and vegetable juice color.
According to Beyond Meat, which has not explained how the steak tips are manufactured, Beyond Steak can be “prepared in a skillet or air fryer in just five minutes and adds craveable flavor to popular dishes, from fajitas and tacos to stir fries, sandwiches and salads.”
Teased by CEO Ethan Brown during the firm’s Q2 earnings call, the steak tips look chunkier than the thin slices of Beyond Carne Asada Steak recently tested at Taco Bell, although Beyond Meat has not said whether they reflect a new manufacturing innovation or whether the process involves adjusting the settings on existing extrusion equipment. Both have a base of wheat gluten and faba beans.
Beyond Meat - which recently settled costly litigation with its former co-packer Don Lee Farms - posted a grim set of figures in Q2, with net losses of $97.1m and revenues down -1.6% to $147m. Its Q3 figures are due out November 9.
Interested in meat alternatives?
Register for our upcoming FREE-to-attend virtual summit: Futureproofing the Food System, November 15-17, which features a session on ‘The Future of Meat’ with Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown:
- Ethan Brown, co-founder and CEO, Beyond Meat
- Dr Lisa Dyson, founder and CEO, Air Protein
- Dr Tyler Huggins, co-founder, Meati Foods
- Abena Foli, head of regulatory affairs, Orbillion Bio
- Dr Elliot Swartz, lead scientist, cultivated meat, The Good Food Institute
