Food News of the Week: Boa Adds Beyond Steak, Chicago Launches Vegan Farmers Market, and Redefine Meat Debuts Spicy Shawarma

Beyond Meat made headlines this week by dropping "Meat" from its name to focus on high-quality plant-based protein options that don't necessarily mimic animal products, such as lentil sausage or chickpea hot dogs. The brand also introduced Beyond Steak Filets at Boa Steakhouse locations and launched new products like Beyond Ground and Pre-Seasoned Beyond Ground. In addition, Chicago is now hosting a vegan farmers market offering ethically sourced vegan products.

Hodo Foods has released a new range of lightly fried tofu in flavors like chili crisp and gochujang, catering to consumer interest in spicy Asian flavors. Redefine Meat debuted a new plant-based Shawarma option, designed to taste like lamb and flavored with spices like cumin and coriander, available in the UK. Vegpreneur and Shopline are offering grants and a new accelerator program for mission-driven plant-based brands, providing mentorship, access to e-commerce resources, and connections to key industry partners to help these businesses scale and make a lasting impact.