比尔盖茨的脑洞,美国开始卖人造肉了
The next generation of vegan burgers, which promises to bleed and sizzle like real ground beef, is taking another step toward the mainstream. Beyond Meat, whose investors include billionaire Bill Gates and food giants General Mills Inc. and Tyson Foods, will begin distributing its plant-based vegan burgers in more than 280 Safeway supermarkets in California, Hawaii and Nevada. Vegan eating has been gaining broader acceptance in recent years, helped by endorsements from celebrities such as Bill Clinton and Beyonce. A growing number of consumers are now seeking out plant-based products for both health and environmental reasons. The Beyond Burger has sold well at Whole Foods over the last several months, getting into a conventional grocery chain marks a turning point, said Ethan Brown, the chief executive officer of Beyond Meat. The Beyond Burger, which is made from pea protein, isn't the only game in town when it comes to vegan burgers. Impossible Foods, founded by Stanford biochemist Pat Brown, is touting its own plant-based patties as an alternative to meat. But the company has focused more on distribution at high-end restaurants. In addition to pushing into conventional grocery stores, Beyond Meat is also available at roughly 30 restaurants on the West Coast. And the product was recently introduced in the dining halls at Yale University. In stores, the burger is sold in packs of two patties for $5.99. And while Brown thinks the taste and sizzle of the vegan burgers stand up against traditional beef, he acknowledges that price could be an issue for mainstream shoppers. He thinks he'll be able to undercut beef within the next five years, as Beyond Meat increases its scale and pays less for ingredients. "That's when things will really get interesting," he said. |