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Beyond Meat to produce plant-based protein at new Chinese facilities

Beyond Meat is opening two new production facilities near Shanghai, making it the first foreign plant-based protein company to establish a major production facility in China.

Media reports say the two facilities will be in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang with full scale production expected to begin in early 2021. Beyond Meat reports they have agreements where their products are already being sold at food chains in China including Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut.

There could be a large market for plant-based protein in China as Chinese consumers search for alternatives after the recent African Swine Fever outbreak increased pork prices. This also puts Beyond Meat a step ahead of competitor Impossible Foods as that company awaits Chinese approval of their ingredient heme which is made from genetically modified yeast.