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Podcast Episode

BUSINESS or BETRAYAL? Beyond Meat’s Vegan Problem

Vegan Hacks·Jason Kartalian·30 August 2026·33 min

About this episode

Beyond Meat was once one of the biggest names in the plant-based movement—but is the company now moving away from the very vegan customers who helped build the brand?In this episode, I dive into Beyond Meat’s new collaboration with Milk Bar, where Beyond products are being used alongside real eggs and dairy cheese. Is this a smart attempt to reach the massive flexitarian market, or does it undermine the ethical and environmental identity Beyond Meat built its brand around?I also talk about Beyond’s struggles as a publicly traded company, the shrinking shelf space for vegan products, and why I think vegans need to be careful about putting too much faith in giant corporations.Then we get into a major recall involving nearly 30,000 pounds of imported Argentine beef—and why stories like this make me ask a simple question: why are we so dependent on animal products in the first place?I also share my approach to making my own vegan “meat,” including simple ground-beef alternatives made from tofu and walnuts.Are companies like Beyond Meat allies of the vegan movement or are they simply businesses trying to survive?Send us Fan Mail