Vivera
Dutch plant-based meat company, one of the largest producers of vegan meat in Europe, now part of JBS.
Vivera is a Dutch plant-based meat producer, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Holten, Netherlands. The company operates large-scale production facilities in the Netherlands and Poland and is among the highest- volume plant-based meat producers in Europe.
Why it matters
Vivera built a European distribution footprint in retail (especially in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands) a decade before the post-2018 plant-based boom. Its ability to produce at scale made it an attractive acquisition target for conventional meat processors.
Product range
Vivera’s line includes vegan beef steak, shawarma, schnitzel, burgers, bacon strips, sausages, and meatballs, plus a plant-based fish range. The consumer line is Vegan Society certified.
Corporate
In 2021 Vivera was acquired by JBS, the Brazilian multinational and the world’s largest meat processor, for €341 million — one of the largest acquisitions of a pure-play vegan company on record. The purchase is part of JBS’s broader move into plant-based protein. Vivera’s consumer products remain fully vegan under JBS ownership; the broader acquisition is a test case for whether an all-vegan brand can persist inside a company whose primary business is conventional animal agriculture.