Beyond Meat’s Starmatter Protein Powder Gets Clean-Label Purity Award

US plant-based giant Beyond Meat’s new protein powder range, Starmatter, has earned a Purity Award from the Clean Label Project, placing it among the top third of certified products within its category.

Beyond Meat is building on its clean-label legacy through one of its newest product lineups.

The El Segundo-based firm last month unveiled Beyond Starmatter, a range of plant-based protein powders with probiotics and functional ingredients, as part of a wider Phytosphere portfolio aimed at broadening its offerings truly beyond meat.

Now, Starmatter has received a Purity Award from the Clean Label Project, joining more than 20 Beyond products with a certification from the organisation amid the Nasdaq-listed firm’s turnaround efforts.

The Purity Award goes beyond contaminant testing, recognising products that perform among the top one-third in their category, based on rigorous independent testing and benchmarking for hidden contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, plasticisers, and other requirements.

These toxins are not listed on labels, so by testing products for their presence and comparing them with the category’s bestsellers, the Clean Label Project aims to boost food safety and transparency to help consumers make more informed choices.

A ‘testament’ to Beyond Meat’s transparency and accountability

Beyond Starmatter is made from a base of pea and fava bean protein, which are blended with L-methionine, beta-glucan, soluble tapioca fibre and oat bran, extracts with polyphenols, plant sterols, biotin, adaptogenic mushrooms, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, natural flavours, and stevia leaf extract.

They deliver 20g of protein and 5g of fibre per 37g scoop, and are available in plain, vanilla, strawberry-banana, salted caramel, and golden latte flavours on the Beyond the Plant Protein Company website.

“We designed Beyond Starmatter to provide consumers with a strong foundation of the superpowers of plants,” said Beyond founder and CEO Ethan Brown.

“We are very pleased to receive the Clean Label Project’s Purity Award for this exciting product, an award that validates the tremendous focus we place on delivering taste and nutrition with quality ingredients.”

The clean-label focus is reflective of the consumer landscape in the US, where 82% of shoppers believe the fewer artificial or unfamiliar ingredients a food has, the healthier it is. Meanwhile, 69% check labels to avoid highly processed ingredients, and 80% prefer familiar ingredients over artificial additives.

According to Innova Market Insights, more than a third of food and beverage launches in North America contained a clean-label claim last year, with no additives/preservatives being the top highlighted attribute.

“Consumers deserve to know what is in their products, including what may not appear on an ingredient label,” outlined Molly Hamilton, executive director of the Clean Label Project.

“The Clean Label Project Purity Award identifies products that have gone the extra mile through independent testing and benchmarking, and Beyond Starmatter’s achievement is a testament to Beyond Meat’s commitment to transparency and accountability.”

Beyond bets on clean labels to win consumers back

The Starmatter powders are part of the Beyond Star Series, which includes a line of savoury jerky-like protein bars called Starcut. “The Beyond Star Series reflects the idea that the elements underlying phytonutrition originated in exploding stars and are transformed by plants into nutrients available to us today,” a company spokesperson told Green Queen last month.

The packaging of these products marks a departure from the firm’s other products. Instead of the signature green design, the protein powders and bars come in a night-sky-inspired midnight blue tint with a gradiented Beyond logo.

The wider Phytosphere range also includes veggie burgers and Beyond Immerse, a line of sparkling protein drinks unveiled at the start of the year. “Protein builds and repairs muscle, fibre supports digestive health, plant sterols help maintain cholesterol levels already within the healthy range, and electrolytes and carbohydrates support performance and recovery,” the spokesperson said last month.

“Yet these nutrients are often left behind in the modern Western diet. That’s why we built the Phytosphere – a place where all are welcome and the superpowers of plants are abundant and convenient.”

These products are part of an effort to reinvigorate consumer interest in its brand, which has suffered from six consecutive quarters of revenue decline and a record-low share price that needed an artificial boost just to stay afloat on the stock market. Since the latter move two months ago, Beyond’s share price has fallen by over 46%.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal this week, Brown called the financial struggles “very, very tough” and admitted that the confusion around the brand’s positioning has “denigrated” it.

The latest award comes months after it secured Clean Label Project certification for its mycelium-based steak filet, its non-meat-mimicking fava bean mince, and the Beyond Immerse line, the hope being that the accreditation will distinguish it from the ultra-processed tag that has plagued consumers.

Polling shows that over seven in 10 Americans are trying to avoid ultra-processed foods, and 38% identify them as products with artificial additives, chemicals, dyes, or hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Beyond isn’t sure how investors will respond to the expanded portfolio, but Brown told the Journal: “We’ll get through it.”