Beyond Meat will begin making plant-based meat in China later this year under an agreement announced Tuesday.
The El Segundo, California-based company said it will be the first multinational company focused solely on plant-based meat production to open a factory in China. Swiss food giant Nestle is also building a plant-based meat production facility in China, but it makes other products there.
Beyond Meat is partnering with the Jiaxing Economic and Technological Development Zone - about 75 miles from Shanghai - to design and develop two manufacturing facilities. Trial production will begin later this year, with full production expected in early 2021.
One of the facilities will be the world's largest plant-based meat factories, Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown said in a statement.
"China is one of the world's largest markets for animal-based meat products, and potentially for plant-based meat," Brown said.
Beyond Meat products made their Chinese debut in April at Starbucks, which sells the company's imitation beef in lasagna, pasta and a spicy wrap. Beyond Meat products were also offered for a limited time at Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC in China. In June, Alibaba's Freshippo grocery stores in Shanghai began selling Beyond Meat burgers.