BEYOND MEAT, INC.
For the period ended Mar 29, 2025. Filed May 8, 2025.
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Mar 29, 2025 · Filed May 8, 2025
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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors in our 2024 10-K, as updated and supplemented below and in our subsequent filings. These risks could materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Additional factors and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or future results.
Risk Factors
Risks Related to Our Business
Disruptions in the worldwide economy, including an economic recession, downturn, changes to trade policies, periods of rising or high inflation or economic uncertainty and volatility, have adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The global economy can be negatively impacted by a variety of factors such as the spread or fear of spread of contagious diseases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic, other pandemics, epidemics or other public health crises) in locations where our products are sold, man-made or natural disasters, severe weather, actual or threatened hostilities or war, terrorist activity, political unrest or uncertainties (including those resulting from the recent U.S. presidential and congressional elections), civil strife and other geopolitical uncertainty. Such adverse and uncertain economic conditions may impact distributor, retailer, foodservice and consumer demand for our products. For example, in connection with the war in Ukraine, governments in the U.S., U.K. and the EU have each imposed export controls on certain products and financial and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. In addition, the intensity, duration and economic effects of the conflict in Israel, Gaza and surrounding areas are difficult to predict. The uncertainty resulting from the military conflicts in Europe and the Middle East have given rise and may continue to give rise to increases in costs of goods and services, scarcity of certain ingredients, increased trade barriers or restrictions on global trade and may increase volatility in financial and capital markets, which may make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital. Further escalation of geopolitical tensions could have a broader impact that expands into other markets where we do business, which could adversely affect our business and/or our supply chain, our international subsidiaries, business partners or customers in the broader region, including potential destabilizing effects that such conflicts may pose for the European continent, the Middle East or the global oil and natural gas markets. In addition, our ability to manage normal commercial relationships with our suppliers, co-manufacturers, distributors, retailers, foodservice customers, consumers and creditors may suffer.
Political environments, for example the recent change in administration in the U.S., may create uncertainty with respect to, and could result in additional changes in, legislation, regulation, international relations and government policy, or could result in possible civil unrest or other disturbances.
For example, the current U.S. presidential administration announced the implementation of significant new tariffs on foreign imported goods, certain of which recently went into effect. In response to the U.S. tariffs, various jurisdictions, including China, Canada and the EU, have announced plans for their own tariffs on American products. If such increased or additional tariffs or other restrictions, quotas, embargoes, or safeguards are placed on goods imported into the United States, or any related counter-measures are taken by other countries, we may have to raise our prices or increase inventory levels, or find new sources of supply for products that we import. There is no assurance that we would be able to pass on any cost increases, in full or at all, to our customers, and/or we could lose customers in countries such as Canada due to anti-American sentiment, any of which could materially affect our revenue, gross margin and results of operations.
Any trade wars, through the implementation of tariffs or otherwise, or a government’s adoption of “buy national” policies or retaliation by another government against such tariffs or policies may adversely affect our business, including by impacting (a) our supply chain for our operations as well as third parties with whom we do business, (b) negatively affecting the prices of and demand for the Company’s products and (c) the macroeconomic markets at large. For example, we source substantially all of our pea protein and manufacture some of our products in Canada and such ingredients and products may be subject to tariffs upon import into the U.S., which may negatively impact prices and demand for our products. In addition, prices and demand for our products manufactured in the U.S. may also be negatively affected by trade wars.
We cannot predict future trade policy and regulations in the United States and other countries, the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements or treaties, or tariffs and their impact on our business. A trade war could have a significant adverse effect on world trade and the world economy. To the extent that trade tariffs and other restrictions imposed by the United States or other countries increase the price of, or limit the amount of, our products or raw materials used in our products imported into the United States or other countries, or create adverse tax consequences, the sales, cost or gross margin of our products may be adversely affected and the demand from our customers for products may be diminished. Uncertainty surrounding international trade policy and regulations as well as disputes and protectionist measures could also have an adverse effect on consumer confidence and spending and negatively affect demand for our products.
As global economic conditions continue to be volatile or uncertain and potential recessionary or inflationary pressures exist, trends in consumer discretionary spending also remain unpredictable and subject to changes. We have seen consumers shift purchases to lower-priced or other perceived value offerings during economic downturns as a result of various factors, including job losses, inflation, higher taxes, reduced access to credit, change in federal economic policy and recent international trade disputes. In particular, consumers have reduced the amount of plant-based food products that they purchase where there are conventional animal-based protein offerings, which generally have lower retail prices. In addition, consumers may choose to purchase private label products rather than branded products because they are generally less expensive. A decrease in consumer discretionary spending may also result in consumers reducing the frequency and amount spent on food prepared away from home. Distributors, retailers and foodservice customers have become more conservative in response to these conditions and have sought to reduce their inventories. Our results of operations depend upon, among other things, our ability to maintain and increase sales volume with our existing distributors, retailers and foodservice customers, our ability to attract new consumers, the financial condition of our consumers and our ability to provide products that appeal to consumers at the right price. Decreases in demand for our products without a corresponding decrease in costs has put downward pressure on gross margin and has negatively impacted, and may continue to negatively impact, our financial results. Prolonged unfavorable economic conditions or uncertainty would likely have an adverse effect on our sales and profitability.
We may not be able to utilize our capacity efficiently or accurately plan our capacity requirements, which may adversely affect our gross margin, business and operating results.
If we overestimate our demand and overbuild our capacity or inventory, as we have done in certain periods in the past, we may have significantly underutilized assets. Underutilization of our manufacturing and/or co-manufacturing facilities can adversely affect our gross margin and other operating results. If demand for our products experiences a prolonged decrease, we may be required to terminate or make penalty payments under certain supply chain arrangements, close or idle facilities, write down our long-lived assets, or shorten the useful lives and accelerate depreciation of our assets, which would increase our expenses. For example, in 2023 and 2022, lower than anticipated revenues negatively impacted our capacity utilization, which resulted in the Company incurring underutilization fees and termination fees that were required in order to exit certain supply chain arrangements.
If demand does not materialize at the rate forecasted, we may not be able to scale back our manufacturing expenses or overhead costs quickly enough to correspond to the lower than expected demand. This could result in lower margins and adversely impact our business and results of operations. Additionally, if product demand continues to decrease or stays flat or we fail to forecast demand accurately, our results may be adversely impacted due to higher costs resulting from lower manufacturing utilization, causing higher cost of goods sold per pound. Further we may be required to recognize excess or obsolete inventory write-off charges, or excess capacity charges. We routinely monitor and recognize excess or obsolete inventory write-off charges when appropriate, which has negatively impacted our results of operations. For example, in 2023, we recorded incremental provision for excess and obsolete inventory in the amount of $38.0 million primarily arising from our Global Operations Review and in the first quarter of 2025, we recorded incremental provision for excess and obsolete inventory in the amount of $4.3 million arising from specific strategic decisions to increase inventory provision for certain inventory items.
If we are unable to sell our inventory in a timely manner, it could become obsolete, which could require us to write-down or write-off obsolete inventory, which could harm our operating results.
There is a risk that we may be unable to sell our inventory in a timely manner to avoid it becoming obsolete. If we are required to substantially discount our inventory or are unable to sell our inventory in a timely manner, we would be required to increase our inventory provision or write-off obsolete inventory and our operating results could be substantially harmed. Alternatively, we may be required to mark down certain products to sell any excess inventory or to sell such inventory through liquidation channels at significantly lower prices, which would negatively impact our business and operating results. For example, in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, our net revenues were negatively impacted by strategic promotional discounts and our gross profit was negatively impacted by write-down of inventory, among other factors, which increased costs per pound. In the first quarter of 2025, we recorded incremental provision for excess and obsolete inventory in the amount of $4.3 million arising from specific strategic decisions to increase inventory provision for certain inventory items.
Risks Related to Our Investments
Our international manufacturing operations have required and may continue to require substantial investments and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. The suspension of our operational activities in China in the first quarter of 2025 has resulted and may continue to result in significant accelerated depreciation and impairment charges in 2025.
Our substantial investment in manufacturing facilities in China and Europe have exposed and may continue to expose us to substantial risks and, as a result, we may not realize a return on our investment. For example, although we invested a significant amount to establish local operations in China, in February 2025, we made the decision to suspend our operational activities in China. As such, we have not realized a sufficient return on our investment in China and expect to incur certain cash and non-cash charges in connection with the suspension of our operational activities in China in the first quarter of 2025. As a result of our decision to suspend our operational activities in China, we currently estimate that we will incur accelerated depreciation and other inventory and asset write-offs in China totaling $13.0 million to $14.0 million through the end of 2026, of which $1.5 million in accelerated depreciation related to the reassessment of useful lives of certain assets was recognized in the first quarter of 2025, and the remainder of which is expected to be evenly distributed beginning in the second quarter of 2025 through the end of the fourth quarter of 2026. For additional details regarding the suspension of our operational activities in China in the first quarter of 2025, see Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—Our strategic initiatives to improve our cost structure could have long-term adverse effects on our business, and we may not realize the operational or financial benefits from such actions, including achieving and/or sustaining our profitability and financial performance objectives in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, in our 2024 10-K.
Unforeseen delays in the suspension of our operational activities in China may cause us to incur additional expenses. Operating or otherwise repurposing or disposing of our facilities in China may require additional capital expenditures and the efforts and attention of our management team and other personnel, which will divert resources from our existing business or operations. In addition, our manufacturing facility in Enschede, the Netherlands may not provide us with all of the operational and financial benefits we expect to receive. These and other risks may result in our not realizing a return on, or losing some or all, of our investments in China and Europe, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and financial performance.
Risks Related to Our Lease Obligations, Indebtedness, Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital
Our significant indebtedness and liabilities could limit the cash flow available for our operations, expose us to risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and impair our ability to satisfy our obligations under the Notes.
As of March 29, 2025, we had approximately $1.3 billion of consolidated indebtedness and other liabilities. On May 7, 2025, we entered into the Loan and Security Agreement, pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to provide for a senior secured delayed draw term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $100.0 million. The Delayed Draw Term Loans are secured by a first-priority lien and security interest in substantially all of our assets and the assets of certain of our subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions. For additional information, see Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Liquidity—Loan and Security Agreement; Warrant Agreement elsewhere in this report.
We may choose to incur additional indebtedness to meet future financing needs. Our indebtedness could have significant negative consequences for our security holders and our business, results of operations and financial condition by, among other things:
increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions;
limiting our ability to obtain additional equity/or debt financing;
requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of our cash flows from operating activities to service our indebtedness, which will reduce the amount of cash available for other purposes;
limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business;
diluting the interests of our existing stockholders as a result of issuing shares of our common stock upon conversion or exchange of the Notes, or upon exercise of the Warrants under the Warrant Agreement, which may also reduce the trading price of our common stock; and
placing us at a possible competitive disadvantage with competitors that are less leveraged than us or have better access to capital.
Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on or to refinance our current or future indebtedness, including our indebtedness under the Loan and Security Agreement and the Notes, as applicable, depends on our future performance and our ability to raise additional capital, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. We may be unable to refinance the Notes on terms satisfactory to us, or at all. Such financing and other potential financings could result in substantial dilution to stockholders, and could result in the reduction in the trading price of our common stock, imposition of debt covenants and repayment obligations, or security interests on our assets or other restrictions that may adversely affect our business. For example, if we draw onthe Delayed Draw Term Loan Facility under our Loan and Security Agreement and the Lenders exercise their Warrants pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, the resulting issuance of our common stock to such Lenders would have a dilutive effect on our current stockholders and could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock.
Among other things the Loan and Security Agreement includes covenants that (i) require us to maintain liquidity of at least $15.0 million, (ii) do not permit our cash interest payments due under all of the Loan Parties’ subordinated debt and unsecured debt for borrowed money for any fiscal year, in the aggregate, to exceed $20.0 million, and (iii) cap the amount of cash that can beused to repay the Notes at their maturity at $60.0 million, subject to increase to the extent of any equity raises. The Loan and Security Agreement also contains covenants that restrict the ability of the Loan Parties and certain of their subsidiaries to make dividends or distributions, incur additional debt (including subordinated debt), engage in certain asset sales, mergers, acquisitions or similar transactions, create liens on assets, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, change their businesses or make investments. The Loan and Security Agreement also has change of control provisions that could have the effect ofdelaying or preventing an otherwise beneficial takeover of the Company.
The Loan and Security Agreement is secured by a first priority lien and security interest in substantially all of our assets and the assetsof certain of our subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions. Because a substantial portion of our assets secure the Loan and Security Agreement, we may not have substantial remaining assets available to secure other indebtedness. The Loan and Security Agreement also limits our ability to incur other indebtedness that has a first priority lien and security interest in the assets securing the Delayed Draw Term Loan Facility or that would bepari passu to the Delayed Draw Term Loans. Accordingly, we may not be able to incur additional secured indebtedness, or may be limited in our ability to incur indebtedness that is first lien or senior indebtedness, in the future. If we are unable to incur additional indebtedness, either to finance our operations, refinance or repay the Notes or for other purposes, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Based on our current business plan, we expect to raise additional capital to pay amounts due under our current or future indebtedness, including the Notes, and our cash needs may increase in the future. In addition, any future indebtedness that we may incur may be secured and may contain additional financial and other restrictive covenants that limit our ability to operate our business, raise capital or make payments under our other indebtedness. If we fail to comply with these covenants or the covenants under the Loan and Security Agreement, or to make payments under our indebtedness when due, then we would be in default under that indebtedness, which could, in turn, result in that and our other indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full, and could cause us to become insolvent or enter bankruptcy proceedings.
Additionally, if our liquidity position is impaired, we may be required to take further actions in relation to management of liabilities on our balance sheet. Any actions in relation to liability management and balance sheet restructuring may materially reduce the value of our common stock, dilute existing holders of our common stock by the conversion of existing liabilities into equity or result in the cancellation of existing common stock.
We may be unable to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the Notes for cash following a fundamental change, or to pay the cash amounts due upon conversion, and our future indebtedness may limit our ability to repurchase the Notes or pay cash upon their conversion.
Holders of the Notes may, subject to a limited exception, require us to repurchase their Notes following a “Fundamental Change” (as defined in the indenture governing the Notes (the “Indenture”)) at a cash repurchase price generally equal to the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid special and additional interest, if any. In addition, all conversions of Notes will be settled partially or entirely in cash. We may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to repurchase the Notes or pay the cash amounts due upon conversion. In addition, applicable law, regulatory authorities and the agreements governing our future indebtedness may restrict our ability to repurchase the Notes or pay the cash amounts due upon conversion. For example, the Loan and Security Agreement contains covenants that restrict our ability to make certain payments on the Notes and restrictions that may limit our ability to raise additional financing. See Note 14, Subsequent Event, to the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this report. Our failure to repurchase the Notes or to pay the cash amounts due upon conversion when required will constitute a default under the Indenture. A default under the Indenture or the Fundamental Change itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness, which may result in that indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full. If the repayment of such future indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, then we may not have sufficient funds to repay that indebtedness and repurchase the Notes or make cash payments upon their conversion and could cause us to become insolvent or enter bankruptcy proceedings.
The accounting method for the Notes could adversely affect our reported financial condition and results.
The Notes do not bear regular interest, and the principal amount of the Notes do not accrete. However, special interest and additional interest may accrue on the Notes at a rate per annum not exceeding 0.50% (subject to certain exceptions) upon the occurrence of certain events relating to the failure to file certain SEC reports or to remove certain restrictive legends from the Notes. The accounting method for reflecting the Notes on our balance sheet may adversely affect our reported earnings and financial condition. If any of the conditions to the convertibility of the Notes is satisfied or the Notes become due within one year, then we may be required under applicable accounting standards to reclassify the liability carrying value of the Notes as a current, rather than a long-term, liability. This reclassification could be required even if no noteholders convert their Notes and could materially reduce our reported working capital.
We early adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06, “Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity's Own Equity”, to account for the Notes which eliminates the treasury stock method for convertible instruments that can be settled in whole or in part with equity and instead requires the application of the more dilutive of the “if-converted” method or the two-class method. Under the if-converted method, diluted earnings per share would generally be calculated assuming that all the conversion premium or spread were converted at the beginning of the reporting period, unless the result would be anti-dilutive. The conversion premium or spread would have a dilutive impact on net income per share when the average market price of the Company’s common stock for a given period exceeds the conversion price.
The capped call transactions may affect the value of the Notes and our common stock.
In connection with the Notes, we entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with the option counterparties. The capped call transactions will cover, subject to customary adjustments, the number of shares of common stock that underlie the Notes. The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce potential dilution to our common stock upon conversion of the Notes or at our election (subject to certain conditions) offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the converted Notes, as the case may be, with such reduction or offset subject to a cap.
We have been advised that, in connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates purchased shares of our common stock and/or entered into various derivative transactions with respect to our common stock.
In addition, we have been advised that the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our common stock and/or purchasing or selling our common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the Notes and prior to the maturity of the Notes (and are likely to do so on each exercise date of the capped call transactions, and in connection with any early termination event in respect of the capped call transactions). This activity could also cause or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of our common stock.
Provisions in the Indenture governing the Notes and the Loan and Security Agreement could delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial takeover of us.
Certain provisions in the Notes and the Indenture, as well as the Loan and Security Agreement, could make a third party attempt to acquire us more difficult or expensive. For example, if a takeover constitutes a fundamental change, then noteholders will have the right to require us to repurchase their Notes for cash. In addition, if a takeover constitutes a Make-Whole Fundamental Change (as defined in the Indenture), then we may be required to temporarily increase the conversion rate. The Loan and Security Agreement also contains change of control provisions that could have the effect ofdelaying or preventing an otherwise beneficial takeover of the Company. In any of these cases, and in other cases, our obligations under the Notes and the Indenture, as well as the Loan and Security Agreement, could increase the cost of acquiring us or otherwise discourage a third party from acquiring us or removing incumbent management, including in a transaction that holders of our common stock or Notes may view as favorable.
We may require additional financing to achieve our goals, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, may force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product manufacturing and development, and other operations.
Since our inception, substantially all of our resources have been dedicated to the development of our three core plant-based product platforms of beef, pork and poultry, including purchases of property, plant and equipment, principally to support the development and production of our products, the build-out and equipping of our former Manhattan Beach Project Innovation Center and our Innovation Center within our Campus Headquarters, and the purchase, build-out and equipping of manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and abroad. We have and believe that we will continue to expend resources as we expand into additional markets we may choose to pursue. These expenditures are expected to include costs associated with research and development, manufacturing and supply, as well as marketing and selling existing and new products. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise.
As of March 29, 2025, we had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash totaling $115.8 million. In addition to the Notes and the funds available to us under the Loan and Security Agreement, we expect to raise significant additional capital through the issuance of additional equity and/or debt securities, and/or incur other indebtedness, some or all of which may be secured, to continue to fund our operations and repay our indebtedness in the future. To continue bolstering and restructuring our balance sheet, subject to our compliance with applicable laws, the applicable requirements of the Loan and Security Agreement and our equity distribution agreement, dated as of November 7, 2024 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”), with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley”), as sales agent, under an “at the market” offering program (the “ATM Program”), and market conditions, we expect to raise additional capital through the issuance of equity and/or debt securities in 2025, through the ATM Program or otherwise, which will result in additional dilution to our existing stockholders and may negatively impact the market price of our common stock. Similarly, if we draw onthe Delayed Draw Term Loan Facility under our Loan and Security Agreement and the Lenders exercise their Warrants pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, the resulting issuance of our common stock to such Lenders would have a dilutive effect on our current stockholders and could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock. Any issuance of equity or debt securities may be for cash or in exchange for our outstanding Notes, which could have a highly dilutive effect on current stockholders and could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock. In addition to resulting in additional dilution to our existing stockholders or negatively affecting the trading price of our common stock, any such potential financings may result in the imposition of security interests on our assets, debt covenants and repayment obligations, or other restrictions that may adversely affect our business. For example, the Loan and Security Agreement contains covenants that restrict our ability to engage in certain transactions and could limit our ability to raise additional financing. See Note 14, Subsequent Event, to the
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this report. Furthermore, any securities issued pursuant to potential financings may include rights that are senior to our shares of common stock. In addition, the capital markets may experience extreme volatility and disruption, including high interest rates in certain geographic regions and higher borrowing costs, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, including our ability to access the capital markets to raise capital and meet liquidity needs. We may be unable to raise additional capital for reasons including, without limitation, our operational and/or financial performance, investor confidence in us and the plant-based meat industry, credit availability from banks and other financial institutions and the status of current projects. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully raise additional funds for the amounts needed or when needed, or on terms commercially acceptable, if at all. Our inability to raise required capital in the future would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our future capital requirements may vary materially from those currently planned and will depend on many factors, including, among others:
demand in the plant-based meat category and for our products, which has continued to decline;
our rate of revenue generation;
the results of our Global Operations Review and the successful implementation of our ongoing cost-reduction initiatives, including the suspension of our operational activities in China in the first quarter of 2025;
the impact of economic and political conditions in the U.S. and international markets on our business;
timing to adjust our supply chain and cost structure in response to material fluctuations in product demand;
the number and characteristics of any additional products or manufacturing processes we develop or acquire to serve new or existing markets;
our investment in and build out of our Campus Headquarters, including the timing and success of subleasing, assigning or otherwise transferring excess space or negotiating a partial lease termination at our Campus Headquarters on terms advantageous to us or at all;
the success of, and expenses associated with, our marketing initiatives;
our investment in manufacturing and facilities to optimize our manufacturing and production capacity, including underutilization fees, termination fees and exit costs;
our investments in real property;
the costs required to fund domestic and international operations and growth;
the scope, progress, results and costs of researching and developing future products or improvements to existing products or manufacturing processes;
any lawsuits related to our products or commenced against us, including the class actions brought against us or the derivative actions brought against certain of our current and former directors and officers;
the expenses needed to attract and retain skilled personnel;
variations in product selling prices and costs;
the timing and success of changes to our pricing architecture within certain channels, and the mix of products sold;
the level of trade and promotional spending to support our products appropriately;
the expenses associated with our sales force; our management of accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable and other working capital accounts;
the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations on our cash balances;
the costs associated with being a public company;
the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing intellectual property claims, including litigation costs and the outcome of such litigation; and
the timing, receipt and amount of sales of, or royalties on, any future approved products, if any.
Additional funds may not be available when we need them, on terms that are favorable or acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to:
delay, limit, reduce or terminate our manufacturing, research and development activities; or
delay, limit, reduce or terminate our establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to generate revenue and achieve profitability.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve our business plan objectives or be able to achieve and/or sustain our profitability and financial performance objectives. If we are unable to generate adequate funds from operations and/or raise sufficient additional funds, we may not be able to repay our existing debt, including the Notes, continue to operate our business, respond to competitive pressures or fund our operations. As a result, we may be required to significantly reduce, reorganize, discontinue or shut down our operations. Any such failure could also cause us to become insolvent or enter bankruptcy proceedings.
Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Compliance Matters, Litigation and Legal Proceedings
Any changes in, or changes in the interpretation of, applicable laws, regulations or policies of the FDA or U.S. Department of Agriculture (the “USDA”), state regulators or similar foreign regulatory authorities that relate to the use of the word “meat” or other similar words in connection with plant-based meat products could adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition.
The FDA and the USDA, state regulators or similar foreign regulatory authorities, such as Health Canada or the CFIA, or authorities of the U.K., the EU or the EU member states, or China, including the State Administration for Market Regulation and its local counterpart agencies, could take action to impact our ability to use the term “meat” or similar words (such as “beef,” “burger” or “sausage,” including the Beyond Meat logo of the Caped Longhorn superhero) to describe or advertise our products. In addition, a food may be deemed misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular way, and the FDA, CFIA, EU member state authorities or other regulators could interpret the use of the term “meat” or any similar phrase(s) to describe our plant-based meat products as false or misleading or likely to create an erroneous impression regarding their composition.
For example, the state of Missouri prohibits any person engaged in advertising, offering for sale, or sale of food products from misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry. The state of Missouri Department of Agriculture has clarified its interpretation that products which include prominent disclosure that the product is “made from plants,” or comparable disclosure such as through the use of the phrase “plant-based,” are not misrepresented under the Missouri law. Additional states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, have subsequently passed similar laws, and legislation that would impose specific requirements on the naming of plant-based meat products has been introduced, but not enacted, in other states. The United States Congress considered (but did not pass) federal legislation, called the Real MEAT Act, that could require changes to our product labeling and marketing, including identifying products as “imitation” meat products, and that would give USDA certain oversight over the labeling of plant-based meat products. If similar bills gain traction and ultimately become law, we could be required to identify our products as “imitation” on our product labels. Further, the FDA recently issued draft guidance on naming plant-based meat alternatives that could impact our naming conventions on various products; while not binding, the guidance, when finalized, will reflect the FDA’s current thinking and expectations. Canadian Food and Drug Regulations also provide requirements for “simulated meat” products, including requirements around composition and naming.
In Europe, the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament proposed in May 2019 to reserve the use of “meat” and meat-related terms and names for products that are manufactured from the edible parts of animals. In October 2020, the European Parliament rejected the adoption of this provision. In the absence of European Union legislation, it was unclear whether member states remained free to establish national restrictions on meat-related names. In June 2020, France adopted a law prohibiting names to indicate foodstuffs of animal origin to describe, market or promote foodstuffs containing vegetable proteins. In October 2021, France published a draft implementing decree (the “Contested Decree”) to define, for example, the sanctions in case of non-compliance with the new law, and the Contested Decree went into effect in 2022. At the time, the Company took the view that the Contested Decree did not comply with the laws of the EU, in particular the principle of free movement of goods. In July 2022, at the request of a trade association, the French High Administrative Court partially suspended the execution of the Contested Decree. The Company filed an application for annulment against the Contested Decree and intervened in favor of the trade association in their pending case against the Contested Decree. Several plant-based companies filed voluntary intervention in support of the Company’s case on April 20, 2023. On July 12, 2023, the French High Administrative Court decided to refer the case to the CJEU. The CJEU was asked to decide on the lawfulness of the Contested Decree banning “meaty” names for plant-based protein under EU law. The procedure before the CJEU started on August 22, 2023, and the Company filed its submission on October 31, 2023. On January 15, 2024, the CJEU closed the written procedure. The period to request an oral hearing closed on February 5, 2024.
In parallel to the litigation before the CJEU against the Contested Decree, on August 23, 2023, France published a proposal for a new decree replacing the Contested Decree (the “New Decree”). The New Decree removed some of the Contested Decree’s most open-ended language, but essentially maintained the prohibition on meaty names for plant-based proteins. The New Decree was subject to administrative review procedure by the European Commission (the EU’s executive body) and the EU member states other than France. The six-months standstill period under that procedure ended on February 23, 2024. The Company supported plant-based protein trade associations against the New Decree. On February 26, 2024, the New Decree was adopted. However, on April 10, 2024, the French High Administrative Court decided once again to postpone the applicability of the New Decree. The interim relief judge noted that there were serious doubts as to whether such national measures could be adopted based on EU law, which had already prompted the CJEU litigation.
In this context, on March 1, 2024, the CJEU requested the French High Administrative Court to provide its view on the impact of the adoption of the New Decree on the litigation against the Contested Decree, and whether it should be declared moot or it should be allowed to proceed. On March 14, 2024, the French High Administrative Court responded to the CJEU's request for information asking it to rule in the proceedings. On April 15, 2024, the CJEU decided that the litigation against the Contested Decree would proceed, and that an oral hearing was not necessary. On October 4, 2024, the CJEU rendered its judgment.
The judgment of the CJEU determined that the manner in which the Contested Decree seeks to ban meat names for plant-based foods is unlawful under EU law. It sets a precedent on the extent to which EU member states may regulate the naming of plant-based foods at the national level in the absence of harmonization at the EU level. In its judgment, the CJEU also ruled that “meat” is defined under EU law as “edible parts of certain animals.” The Company is taking the view that the CJEU’s interpretation only affects the use of the term in the sales denomination on the label and not the use of the term in marketing and advertising materials. Following the CJEU’s judgment, the case was referred to the French High Administrative Court, which, on January 28, 2025, annulled the Contested Decree and the New Decree. Beyond Meat will be reimbursed by the French State for legal costs incurred in challenging the Contested Decree, for a total of 3,000 euros.
France was the first EU member state to adopt such a law, but others followed. On December 16, 2023, an Italian law prohibiting names to indicate foodstuffs of animal origin to describe, market or promote foodstuffs containing vegetable proteins (“Italian Law”) entered into force. The Italian Law requires the Ministry of Agriculture to adopt a decree with the names that may not be used to describe plant-based products by February 16, 2024. However, on January 29, 2024, the European Commission issued a formal letter informing the Italian government that the Italian Law was adopted in violation of EU law, and is thus not applicable or enforceable. On February 28, 2024, the Italian Minister for Agriculture confirmed that the adoption of an implementing decree is currently suspended. We are not aware of any steps taken by the Italian government to adopt the implementing decree, nor have the authorities attempted to enforce the Italian Law. The judgment of the CJEU concerning the French ban will likely affect the approach taken by Italy in the future.
Separately, on December 5, 2023, Poland published a draft decree banning the use of meaty names to designate plant-based products. We are not aware of any additional developments in the legislative process. In June 2024, a Polish association of breeders requested that the Ministry of Agriculture advance the decree and regulate the use of meaty names. The judgment of the CJEU concerning the French ban will likely affect the approach taken by Poland in the future.
The CJEU judgment has provided clarification on the ability of EU member states to adopt national legislation with respect to sales denominations for plant-based products in the absence of harmonization at the EU level. EU member states may reflect on the CJEU judgment and take a position on whether to adopt national measures. Such measures could affect our ability to use certain terms for our plant-based products in the future.
Moreover, in light of the CJEU judgment, EU member state regulatory authorities may take action with respect to the use of the term “meat” or similar terms in advertising materials and other labeling (beyond the sales denomination), such that we are unable to use those terms with respect to our plant-based products, we could be subject to enforcement action or recall of our products marketed with these terms, we may be required to modify our marketing strategy, or required to identify our products as “imitation” in our product labels, and our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition could be adversely affected.
For instance, the Belgian Inspectorate of the Ministry of Economy has recently taken the view that the Belgian Royal Decree of March 8, 1985 on the manufacture and trade of fresh minced meat restricts certain denominations to meat-based products. Belgian authorities have initiated proceedings against a retailer in Belgium selling Beyond Meat products, challenging the use of terms such as “gehakt” (“mince”) and “burger” for plant-based alternatives. The case is currently under review by the Belgian Food Safety Agency. While we believe the Company has a defendable position, as the Royal Decree does not specifically reserve these terms for meat-based products, we are monitoring the situation closely to assess any potential impact on product labeling and marketing.
Developments have also occurred outside the EU. On May 2, 2025, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court upheld the appeal brought by the Federal Department of Home Affairs concerning the use of certain meaty names for plant-based alternatives. While the full text of the judgment is not yet available, the outcome and core reasoning have been made public. The court ruled that the use of the term “chicken” (“poulet”) for a plant-based product that does not contain any meat is misleading and, therefore, prohibited under Swiss law. In doing so, the court seems to confirm the position of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, as previously outlined in Information Letter 2020/3.1, which also prohibited the use of certain animal species names for plant-based products.
Litigation or other legal or regulatory proceedings could expose us to significant liabilities and have a negative impact on our reputation or business.
Our business exposes us to significant potential risk from lawsuits, investigations, inquiries, examinations and other legal or regulatory proceedings. As a result, from time to time, we may be party to various claims and proceedings. We evaluate these claims and proceedings to assess the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes and to estimate, if possible, the amount of potential losses. Based on these assessments and estimates, we may establish reserves, as appropriate. These assessments and estimates are based on the information available to management at the time and involve a significant amount of management judgment. Actual outcomes or losses may differ materially from our assessments and estimates. For information regarding pending legal proceedings, please see Part II, Item 1, Legal Proceedings, and Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, to the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this report.
Even when not merited, the attention these lawsuits, investigations, examinations and other legal or regulatory proceedings require, and the defense of any lawsuits or other proceedings, may divert our management’s attention and may cause us to incur significant expenses. The results of such proceedings are inherently uncertain, and adverse judgments or settlements in some of these legal disputes may result in adverse monetary damages, penalties or injunctive relief against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows and results of operations. Any claims or litigation, even if fully indemnified or insured, could damage our reputation and make it more difficult to compete effectively or to obtain adequate insurance in the future.
Furthermore, while we maintain insurance for certain potential liabilities, such insurance does not cover all types and amounts of potential liabilities and is subject to self-insured retentions, various exclusions as well as caps on amounts recoverable. Even if we believe a claim is covered by insurance, insurers may dispute our entitlement to recovery for a variety of potential reasons, which may affect the timing and, if the insurers prevail, the amount of our recovery.
General Risk Factors
Future sales or issuances of our common stock in the public market could cause our share price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. For example, we may sell additional shares of common stock in public or private offerings, or pursuant to our ATM Program, and may also sell securities convertible into common stock. In addition, 8,234,230 shares of our common stock are reserved for potential issuance upon the conversion of the Notes. On May 7, 2025, in connection with Loan and Security Agreement, we entered into the Warrant Agreement, under which the Lenders, as holders of the Warrants, have the right to purchase up to, in the aggregate, 9,558,635 shares of our common stock reserved for potential issuance upon the exercise of any Warrants.
We expect to raise significant additional capital through the issuance of additional equity and/or debt securities, and/or incur other indebtedness, some or all of which may be secured, to continue to fund our operations and repay our indebtedness in the future. To continue bolstering and restructuring our balance sheet, subject to our compliance with applicable laws, the applicable requirements of the Loan and Security Agreement and our Equity Distribution Agreement with B. Riley, as sales agent, under the ATM Program, and market conditions, we expect to raise additional capital through the issuance of equity and/or debt securities in 2025, through the ATM Program or otherwise, which will result in additional dilution to our existing stockholders and may negatively impact the market price of our common stock. Any issuance of additional equity or debt securities may be for cash or in exchange for our outstanding Notes, which could have a highly dilutive effect on current stockholders and could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock. Similarly, if we draw onthe Delayed Draw Term Loan Facility under our Loan and Security Agreement and the Lenders exercise their Warrants pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, the resulting issuance of our common stock to such Lenders would have a dilutive effect on our current stockholders and could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock. In addition to resulting in additional dilution to our existing stockholders or negatively affecting the trading price of our common stock, any such potential financings may result in the imposition of debt covenants and repayment obligations, or other restrictions that may adversely affect our business. For example, the Loan and Security Agreement contains covenants that restrict our ability to engage in certain transactions and could limit our ability to raise additional financing. See Note 14, Subsequent Event, to the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this report. Furthermore, any securities issued pursuant to potential financings may include rights that are senior to our shares of common stock.
Sales of our common stock, by us or otherwise, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares of our common stock intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock. We cannot predict the size of future sales or issuances of our common stock or securities convertible into our common stock or the effect, if any, that any such future sales or issuances will have on the market price of our common stock.
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The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.