A series of class action lawsuits alleging deceptive practices by Beyond Meat will be heard as one case in Chicago, a court ruled Wednesday.
The lawsuits allege that Beyond Meat Inc., which sells plant-based meat substitute products, miscalculates and exaggerates the protein content in its foods and misleads consumers about the nutritional benefits, compared to traditional meat products.
The lead complaint, filed in September, alleges that a method for testing a product’s protein content, through an interaction with a nitrogen compound, reveals that some Beyond Meat products contain less protein than is required to be. show on a label.
«For example, defendant’s Beyond Beef Plant-Based Ground 16 oz. patties, which are labeled ’20 G per serving’ and ‘40% DV’ for protein, actually contain 19 G per serving based on nitrogen and 7% DV for protein,» the complaint states.
A representative for Beyond Meat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beyond Meat announced last fall that it would lay off 200 workers. That was on top of a 4% reduction in its workforce announced in August. According to the food industry news website fooddivethe company missed revenue targets and cut its annual projections.
Its closest rival, Impossible Foods, has also struggled, and this week it announced that it would cut its workforce by 20%.
A recent Bloomberg News article called Plant-Based Meat Alternatives «a failure,» citing one analyst who said regular meat-eating consumers «just aren’t that into it.»