Last week, Beyond Meat announced that it’s new product, Beyond Chicken Tenders, is now available across the US food service stores and over 400 restaurants. The plant based pioneer declared it a breakthrough in the poultry market, after almost ten years of research and design.
Rumors surrounding the product began in April, and according to Beyond Meat, it did very well in customer testing, being scored evenly in overall flavor when compared with regular chicken tenders. The Beyond Chicken Tenders are made from fava beans and peas, contain 14 grams of protein per serving and are less than 40% the saturated fat of standard chicken tenders.
Although plant-based chicken alternatives have been in the market for decades, the Beyond Chicken Tenders will probably be different, and take advantage of the company’s reputation and branding.
Back in 2012, Beyond Meat launched a vegan chicken strips alternative into the market, but the product was a failure and later discontinued in 2019 due to lack of popularity. This time, they attempt to redeem themselves and offer more “chicken” options to consumers. Chicken consumption is still escalating in the USA (the estimate is 8 billion chicken per year), but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shortage of chicken meat available. The product should appeal to vegan or plant curious customers.
“We’re innovating the poultry market with the new Beyond Chicken Tenders—the result of our tireless pursuit for excellence and growth at Beyond Meat,” said Dariush Ajami, Chief Innovation Officer at Beyond Meat.
“As with all our products, Beyond Chicken Tenders offer delicious taste and an exceptional culinary experience, along with strong nutritional benefits. Innovation is at the heart of Beyond Meat, and Beyond Chicken Tenders are the latest example of our mission to create groundbreaking, tasty options that are better for people and for our planet.”