McDonald’s launches controversial vegan McPlant burger in US

McPlant will be trialled in four states after for a limited time

McDonald’s is bringing its vegan ‘Beyond Meat’ burger to eight US Stores starting next month, in what will be a test run for the plant-based menu item.

Stores in Texas, Iowa, Louisiana and California are taking part in the trial, and are Irving and Carrollton in Texas; Cedar Falls in Iowa; Jennings and Lake Charles in Louisiana; and El Segundo and Manhattan Beach in California, as CNBC reported on Thursday.

The vegan burger, which is marketed as a “McPlant”, will be available for a limited time at the eight locations, and if successful, could lead to it being rolled out across the US.

The company teased “future McPlant availability updates” based on the test run but did not provide further details.

McDonald’s long awaited plant-based burger has already been introduced to stores in Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

It comes on the back of plant-based items being introduced at Burger King and KFC, with the fast food sector turning towards trends in meat-free eating.

The McPlant burger contains peas, rice and potatoes, and has been made in conjunction with Beyond Meat, a California-based brand who are becoming well known for plant-based items mimicking meat, including burgers.

McDonald’s said it will also include mayonnaise and a slice of American cheese, which are not vegan. The burger will also be cooked on the same grill as its beef patties, and egg products.

In the UK, a vegan mayonnaise and and vegan cheese have been used for the McPlant.

According to the Plant Based Food Association, sales of plant-based foods have risen by 43 per cent in the past two years alone, with many consumers more conscious of the environmental impact of meat and dairy.

The United Nations's Food and Agricultural Organisation has said that the meat and dairy industry accounts for roughly 14.5 per cent of all carbon emissions globally.

McDonald’s, meanwhile, has committed itself to “net zero” emissions by 2050.