Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat opens new production site

Beyond Meat has announced the opening of the Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat co-manufacturing facility in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands, which represents its first co-manufacturing capabilities in Europe.

Owned and operated by Zandbergen, the new co-manufacturing facility will produce the Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage. It is also intended to allow for more distribution of Beyond Meat’s products across EMEA.

Production at the facility will also include the upcoming debut of new packaging for the Beyond Burger, as well as Beyond Sausage available in EMEA.

The lighter and sustainable packaging will feature fully recyclable trays and 30% less material.

Beyond Meat also acquired its first manufacturing facility in Europe in Enschede this week. It will be the first outside of Missouri, US, to handle the company’s approach to texturising plant proteins.

Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown said: “Our new facility in Enschede will not only bring production closer to the consumer, representing an investment in the markets and communities we serve but is expected to allow us to leverage local supply chains, improving our cost structure and sustainability of operations.”

Expected to be operational by the end of this year, this new facility allows for end-to-end manufacturing capabilities in Europe.

Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat chief commercial officer Adriaan Figee said: “As the demand for plant-based protein and particularly Beyond Meat products grows in Europe and the Middle East, the official opening of this co-manufacturing facility in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands is timely.”

The new Zandbergen co-manufacturing facility is expected to have a lighter environmental impact and has been built to BREEAM Outstanding standards.