**From Chicken to Chickpeas, and Beyond**

Italy’s plant-based aisle just got a new heavyweight.

Amadori has acquired Unconventional from Granarolo, including the production site in Coriano and the Unconventional 100% Vegetale brand. The deal makes Amadori the third-largest brand in Italy’s plant-based products market, according to Circana.

The timing is not random. Italy’s plant-based sector grew 5.9% in volume in 2025 and is now worth over €208 million. Household penetration sits at 28.7%, based on YouGov Shopper figures. That is not fringe. That is mainstream dinner rotation.

Meanwhile in the United States, Beyond Meat is fighting a different battle. The company swung back to a gross profit of $2 million in the first quarter, versus a gross loss of $6.9 million a year ago, after cutting inventory provisions and manufacturing expenses. Revenues still fell 15.3% to $58.2 million as international fast food customers and US retail and foodservice customers reduced orders. After securing a $550 million debt restructuring and extending repayment on a $1.3 billion accumulated deficit, Beyond Meat is also rebranding to Beyond The Plant Protein Company to broaden its positioning.

Why it matters: Europe’s story looks like steady household adoption and strategic M&A. The US story looks like financial triage and brand repositioning. One market is consolidating around growth. The other is redefining what “plant-based” even means. The next phase may not be about meat alternatives at all, but about owning protein as a bigger, more flexible food category.