McDonald’s Australia has launched the McPlant burger in select stores as part of a new trial. Made by Beyond Meat, the plant-based burger is currently available at 270 restaurant locations across Victoria, although the burger is not yet suitable for vegans.
Although the McPlant patty is made with Beyond Meat’s plant-based protein, the burger also contains ingredients that are not suitable for vegans, such as dairy cheese and mayonnaise-style sauce, with the patty cooked on the same grill as meat-based products and eggs. Regardless, the McPlant – aimed at the growing flexitarian market rather than vegan customers – is being trialled to judge consumer demand in Australia and assess current kitchen systems.
It is possible that any permanent McPlant addition in the future will follow suit of the UK version which features a vegan cheese made by Irish food company Kerry. The McPlant has also launched in the US, with animal rights group PETA completing a “10,000 McPlants in 10 Days” campaign to boost sales.
“Through this trial, McDonald’s Australia will learn more about customer demand for the McPlant and how this new menu item impacts restaurant kitchen operations, which will inform future menu decisions locally”, explained McDonald’s Australia in a statement.
