Beyond Meat expands Walmart partnership, will offer new products at hundreds of locations

The plant-based meat company will add hot Italian sausage to more than 400 Walmart locations and expand its frozen Cookout Classic

Beyond Meat is expanding its alternative meat products at Walmart.

The publicly-traded company behind plant-based burgers and other meat alternatives announced Tuesday it would begin adding its hot Italian sausage product to the fresh meat aisle at more than 400 Walmart stores and expand its frozen Cookout Classic value pack to 500 locations in the U.S. this week.

Beyond Meat is currently available at 2,400 of the retailer's locations.

BEYOND EXPANDS MCDONALD’S, YUM BRANDS’ DEALS FOR THE MCPLANT PLANT-BASED TACOS AND MORE

“We are thrilled by the continued growth with Walmart and the opportunity to offer Walmart customers increased accessibility to a larger selection of our delicious and better-for-you plant-based products,” said Chuck Muth, the chief crowth officer of Beyond Meat, in a press releas. “As more households continue to buy our products and buy them more frequently, we’re excited to satisfy the growing demand through increased product offerings and distribution.”

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The expansion comes as the plant-based food company has partnered with a number of national fast-food chains to offer meatless burgers and faux sausage patties for breakfast sandwiches as more consumers look for alternative meat options.

Beyond announced earlier this month distribution agreements with McDonald’s for its “McPlant” burger, and Yum Brands, the owner of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, to develop plant-based products for restaurants such as “Beyond Fried Chicken” and pizza toppings for Pizza Hut. The West Coast-based startup in January also announced a partnership with PepsiCo to develop and produce snacks and drinks made with its plant-based protein.  Impossible Foods, its main competitor in the plant-based space, has meanwhile secured partnerships with Burger King for plant-based offerings.

Beyond Meat is sold at 28,000 retail locations across the country. The company first launched in Walmart stores in 2015.

The Associated Press contributed to this report