The global vegan explosion has made an impact on international fast food chain KFC. This week The Daily Telegraph in the UK reported that KFC will begin to trial vegan and vegetarian options later this year. This follows in the path of the news that McDonalds is introducing vegan options to some of its franchises, as reported by Vegconomist last week.
KFC Innovations Director Jack Hinchcliffe told the Telegraph: “Veganism as a trend has really blown up. We’re currently in the process of working on both vegetarian and vegan options in the innovation kitchen, here in our head office.”
To date, animal welfare has not appeared to be a focus of KFC’s and this has been repeatedly addressed by animal rights groups including PETA. Last year PETA submitted a petition asking KFC to offer plant-based options as an alternative in its meat heavy menu, and it seems that has helped show KFC that there is profit in vegan food.
KFC are keeping quiet at this time as to what they are working on with the new vegan options, but Hinchcliffe did state that they need to be “really credible, authentic and genuine, a bean patty would not cut the mustard as that lets down vegans.” He went to say: “For us it’s about taking the amazing tastes of KFC and offering those in a vegetarian or vegan alternative.”
