TIME Names Beyond Steak and Mushroom-Based Meats ‘Best Inventions of 2022’
Three game-changing plant-based meats made the prestigious list this year as innovative companies continue to disrupt the food industry with tasty and sustainable animal-free protein.
The Beyond Steak in action. Credit: Beyond Meat
TIME magazine has named vegan meats including Beyond Meat’s steak as some of the best inventions of 2022 in their annual review of key innovations that are changing the world for the better.
Three different game-changing vegan meats were included in TIME’s Food & Drinks category, highlighting how animal-free protein is helping to reshape the food industry.
Plant-based protein company Beyond Meat made the prestigious list with its recently-launched Beyond Steak, which hit shelves at over 5,000 Kroger and Walmart stores nationwide just last month. TIME calls the product “a healthier steak”, noting the meaty steak tips are made from faba bean protein and wheat gluten, and contain no cholesterol, unlike animal-based steak.
The Beyond Steak seared tips are now available in over 5,000 Kroger and Walmart stores. Credit: Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat helped popularize realistic meat-alternatives, with its signature products like the Beyond Burger, Beyond Sausage, and now the Beyond Steak, allowing consumers to eat ‘meat’ that has a fraction of carbon emissions and eliminates the need to farm animals.
The company’s innovations so far have earned it landmark deals with major fast-food chains including Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, and now TIME’s latest recognition of the company shows that it continues to disrupt the protein market.
And more and more innovative companies and food tech startups are offering tasty solutions to finding more sustainable protein. Meati Foods was also awarded as one of TIME’s best inventions this year, thanks to the first-of-its-kind breaded crispy chicken cutlet which is primarily made from mushroom root.
The mushroom root-based breaded chicken. Credit: Meati Foods
The company’s products include chicken and steak, and are packed with protein, fibre, and micronutrients, and are available to order online at their website, with a nationwide retail launch expected to roll out soon.
Mushroom-based meats made another appearance on the list, too, with MyForest Foods’ vegan bacon. The MyBacon is nearly 100 percent mushroom root and, incredibly, features a flesh-like texture and gristle that bacon-lovers expect.
Credit: MyForest Foods
The company’s founder and CEO Eben Bayer knows a lot about bacon, having grown up on a Vermont family farm raising and slaughtering pigs. Now, his MyForest Foods can produce 100-foot-long slabs of mushroom-based bacon within just 12 days, showcasing the sustainable potential of replacing animal agriculture with plant-based alternatives like mushroom farming.
In 2023 and beyond, Species Unite will continue to champion solutions like innovative plant-based meats that can help transition the world away from animal products. Join our community by becoming a member today and check out our Future of Food podcast episodes to learn more about cellular agriculture.
We Have A Favor To Ask…
Species Unite amplifies well-researched solutions to some of the most abusive animal industries operating today.
At this crucial moment, with worldwide momentum for change building, it’s vital we share these animal-free solutions with the world - and we need your help.
We’re a nonprofit, and so to keep sharing these solutions, we’re relying on you - with your support, we can continue our essential work in growing a powerful community of animal advocates this year.
More stories:
Species Unite
A collection of stories of those who fight the good fight on behalf of animals.
Meat giant JBS USA misled consumers with fake sustainability claims to boost sales, the lawsuit alleges.