Does Beyond Meat, Inc.’s plant-based meat-substitute products provide “equal or superior protein” to that found in real meat? The complaint for this class action says no, and brings this class action against the company, claiming its representations about the amount of protein in its meat substitute are false.
Beyond Meat makes its plant-based meat substitute in the form of ground beef, sausage, meatballs, and hamburger patties.
The company claims that the products contain “equal or superior protein” to the amount of protein found in real meat, but the complaint alleges that the meat has been tested by two different laboratories, and “the results of both tests show that Beyond Meat products contain significantly less protein than what is stated on the product packaging.”
Page 4 of the complaint shows a package of Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burgers Plant-Based Patties. The label shows the claim that the hamburger-like patties contain “20g of Plant Protein Per Serving.” Not shown is the nutrition panel, which the complaint alleges shows, again, the claim of 20 grams of protein per serving and also a claim of 40% daily protein value per serving. The complaint says that these claims are false.
One way of calculating the amount of protein in a food is the Nitrogen Content Method. But the complaint claims that this is not the most accurate way of doing it. Also, the amount of protein is not the only issue, the complaint claims; the quality of the protein (or its usability in the body) also matters, and this is measured by something called the Protein Digestibility Amino Acid Corrected Score (PDCAAS).
The complaint alleges, “By law, Beyond Meat is required to use the PDCAAS calculation for the Products” and to arrive at “a statement of protein content as a percentage of the Daily Reference Value calculated using the ‘corrected amount of protein’…” Therefore, the complaint claims, Beyond Meat’s “stated protein DV% claims are false and misleading” because they don’t take into consideration the usability of the protein by the human body.
Three classes have been proposed for this action:
- The National Class is all persons in the US who bought any of the products for personal use and not for resale, during the fullest period allowed by law.
- The Consumer Fraud Ten-State Class is all persons in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Washington who bought the products for personal use and not for resale, from the beginning of the statute of limitations period through the date the class is certified in this case.
- The California Class is all persons in California who bought any of the products for personal use and not for resale in California.
Topic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Beyond Meat Products Amount of Protein and DV% Complaint
June 10, 2022
Does Beyond Meat, Inc.’s plant-based meat-substitute products provide “equal or superior protein” to that found in real meat? The complaint for this class action says no, and brings this class action against the company, claiming its representations about the amount of protein in its meat substitute are false.
Beyond Meat Products Amount of Protein and DV% ComplaintCase Event History
Beyond Meat Products Amount of Protein and DV% Complaint
June 10, 2022
Does Beyond Meat, Inc.’s plant-based meat-substitute products provide “equal or superior protein” to that found in real meat? The complaint for this class action says no, and brings this class action against the company, claiming its representations about the amount of protein in its meat substitute are false.
Beyond Meat Products Amount of Protein and DV% Complaint