VFC Believe in Chickens campaign

© VFC

Marketing & Media

VFC Condemns Hypocrisy & Cruelty Inherent in KFC Campaign: “KFC Believes in Chicken, Whereas VFC Believes in Chickens”

Activist-led UK brand VFC has accused KFC of hypocrisy after the chain launched a major ad campaign encouraging consumers to “Believe in Chicken”. According to VFC, KFC’s representation of chicken cannot be trusted. Consequently, the brand has launched a social media campaign featuring a modified version of KFC’s billboard creative, altering the message to “Believe in Chickens”. By addressing chickens in the plural, VFC aims to highlight that they are living creatures that deserve to be treated with compassion. Unlike KFC’s campaign, which features images of fried chicken, VFC’s version shows how farmed chickens are treated. This is not the first time VFC has challenged the fast food chain — in 2022, the brand condemned a “misleading” KFC campaign where an influencer was invited to …

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Fast Food

KFC Could Be Set to Open a Vegetarian Location in India’s Holy City of Ayodhya

Officials in the Indian city of Ayodhya have said they are prepared to grant KFC permission to open a fully vegetarian location. Ayodhya is considered a holy city, with ties to religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Consequently, the sale of meat and alcohol is banned within the city’s Panch Kosi Parikrama (a 15-kilometre pilgrimage route), in line with religious beliefs. This means that KFC has been prevented from opening a location in the area to date. However, tourism is on the increase in Ayodhya following the opening of the new Ram Mandir temple last month. As a result, officials are welcoming major fast food chains into the city — as long as they serve fully vegetarian menus. Discussions with several chains are reportedly underway, …

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Burger King Costa Rica

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Fast Food

Global Fast Food Chains Become Increasingly Plant-Friendly, Normalizing Sustainable Food

A report by ProVeg has found that the five leading global fast food chains — McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, and KFC — are increasingly offering a range of plant-based options. The research looked at the plant-based dishes offered by the chains in Belgium, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the US. The chains were then ranked based on these findings, with main meals, sides, and desserts all taken into account. Burger King tops the list Burger King topped the list due to its wide range of animal-free main dishes. Yesterday (August 8) marked four years since the chain’s Impossible Whopper rolled out across the US; since then, plant-based Whoppers have become widely available in numerous countries, along with …

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KFC France

©KFC France

Fast Food

KFC Launches Quorn Based ‘Colonel Veggie’ in France

From today until 11 October, chicken lovers who want to reduce their meat consumption can purchase the Colonel Veggie at KFC France. The chick*n fillet is produced by Quorn and the burger comes in a sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese and sauces, which should be removed to make vegan friendly. The menu item is reportedly certified by V-Label and is cooked on a separate griddle to animal meat. In May of this year Quorn, the UK’s leading meat alternative brand, contacted vegconomist to announce plans to supply its mycoprotein chick*n to KFC across Europe, including veggie wraps and big buckets, with the range set to roll out into several thousand KFC restaurants around Europe. “We are delighted with this collaboration with Quorn. For us, …

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KFC Australia Wicked Popcorn

© KFC Australia

Fast Food

KFC Australia Launches Plant-Based Wicked Popcorn Chicken

KFC Australia has launched its first ever plant-based option — Wicked Popcorn. The meat-free bites are made with pea protein and feature the same spice mix as the chain’s Wicked Wings. Wicked Popcorn is available in a box, a bowl, or as a Combo option with fries and a drink. It is served with a new vegan lime ranch dipping sauce. While the new offering is made entirely from plant-based ingredients, KFC Australia cautions that the Wicked Popcorn is cooked in the same fryers as the conventional popcorn chicken, meaning many customers may consider it to be unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans. Plant-based at KFC KFC has been working to offer plant-based menu items in several markets worldwide. The chain is collaborating with Quorn to …

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Plant-Based Fried Chicken Sandwich

Image supplied by Quorn

Food & Beverage

KFC and Quorn to Launch Meat-Free Range in “Several Thousand” European Locations

Quorn, the UK’s leading meat alternative brand, contacts vegconomist to report that it will supply its mycoprotein based chicken to KFC across Europe, following successful trials in Germany and the Netherlands. Quorn says it is working with KFC to develop a whole range of meat-free menu options, including veggie wraps and big buckets, which will initially launch in Germany and then roll out into several thousand KFC restaurants around Europe. The KFC Original Recipe Vegan Burger made with Quorn was a huge success in the UK and Ireland where stocks were sold out within four days in the initial 2019 trial, with the item returning as a permanent addition this January due to popular demand. Meanwhile, in the US, KFC is working with Beyond Meat …

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kfc marketing campaign

© VFC

Marketing & Media

VFC Condemns KFC Marketing Campaign as “Utterly Misleading”

Plant-based fried chicken brand VFC has responded furiously to a new KFC marketing campaign that appears to show high welfare standards at a farm supplying the fast-food chain. For the campaign, KFC teamed up with social media influencer Niko Omilana, inviting him to go “behind the bucket” at the chicken farm. The film shows the floor of the shed covered in fresh straw, perches and bells provided to enrich the chickens’ lives, healthy birds, and a reasonable amount of space. But VFC was sceptical, having investigated several poultry farms and found consistently poor conditions. The company, which has previously said it intends to “take on the chicken industry” and “end factory farming”, tracked down the farm used in the film and entered with a filmmaker. …

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KFC Plant-Based Chicken

Image courtesy of KFC Canada

Products & Launches

KFC Canada to Make Plant-Based Chicken Permanent Menu Item

KFC Canada announces the company is making vegan fried chicken, using Lightlife plant-based fillets, a fixed menu item. The product will also be available as a new popcorn chicken option, available for a limited time.  Having made headlines in the US after announcing a national rollout of Beyond Meat’s fried chicken this week, KFC in Canada is also actively expanding the chain’s plant-based chicken menu.  “A month’s worth of sandwiches in six hours” KFC Canada first tested a Lightlife-based chicken sandwich in 2019 to resounding success. At the time, a KFC spokesperson said the company sold “a month’s worth of sandwiches in six hours” and the huge demand for plant-based menu items compelled the chain to “quickly to bring these menu items to our restaurants …

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Beyond Fried Chicken nuggets

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Products & Launches

KFC Rolls Out Beyond Meat Fried Chicken Across the US

KFC restaurants across the US will begin offering Beyond Meat fried chicken from January 10. The news comes on the heels of the announcement yesterday that KFC’s vegan chicken burger is to become a permanent menu item in the UK. KFC first tested the Beyond Meat fried chicken in Atlanta in 2019, where it sold out almost immediately. Since then, the plant-based chicken has been trialled in several areas, but this is the first time it has been sold nationwide — though initially, it will only be available for a limited time. Beyond Meat stock rose by over 7% following the announcement of the launch. This is a welcome development for the company, whose shares have lost half their value over the past year. Plant-based …

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KFC Vegan Burger

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Products & Launches

KFC Brings Back Vegan Burger Permanently by Popular Demand 

Fast-food giant KFC is returning its Original Recipe Vegan Burger to restaurants across the UK due to its popularity. KFC is making the award-winning plant-based chicken burger a permanent fixture on the menu as of today.  Aimed at the growing flexitarian market, the Original Recipe Vegan Chicken Burger features a plant-based Quorn fillet with the chain’s famed coating and vegan mayo. The burger is priced from £3.99 in restaurants and via delivery.   Originally launched back in June 2019, the first KFC vegan burger made by Quorn completely sold out across trial locations in the UK, reportedly selling 500% more than average menu launches. In 2021, the president of KFC in the US confirmed that the global chain is developing plant-based versions of its trademark tenderloin …

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KFC plantbased

©KFC

Products & Launches

KFC Develops Plant-Based Option to Rival Trademark Fried Chicken Tenderloin and Strip

While the world faces increasing poultry shortages in the wake of Covid-19, KFC’s top executive in the US has revealed more about the brand’s plant-based developments. Kevin Hochman, president of KFC in the US, has commented that the fried chicken chain is developing a plant-based version of its trademark offering.  As KFC plans ahead for the inevitable future of alt chicken in the mainstream, vegconomist takes a look back at the biggest vegan developments for the fast-food icon:  June 2019 – KFC’s vegan Imposter Burger made by Quorn completely sells out across trial locations in the UK, reportedly selling 500% more than average menu launches.  January 2020 – After being “bombarded with pleas to bring back the vegan burger”, KFC makes Quorn chicken burger option …

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Meat Zero

©Meat Zero

Products & Launches

Meat Zero to Supply Plant-Based Fried Chicken to KFC Thailand

Yum Brands-owned KFC Thailand announces it is working with Meat Zero to create new plant-based fried chicken menus to be initially served at two KFC Green Stores in Thailand.  Thai pork and poultry giant Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CPF), Thailand’s largest agro-industrial food business, unveiled MEAT ZERO this May with goals of becoming the top alt meat brand in Asia by 2022 and in the world’s top 3 by 2026. The plant-based Chicken Pop menus are at KFC Green stores, at Saengsom Building and Wanachai Depot Chachoengsao, which are now serving 6 sets: 1) 7 pieces of Plant-Based Chicken Pop for 49 baht 2) plant-based Zabb Rice Bowl for 75 baht 3) Chick N’ Share plant-based Pop for 119 baht 4) Combo plant-based Pop for …

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Society

KFC Russia to Trial 3D Printed Chicken Nuggets, GFI Says “We Hope it Creates Something Like the Space Race”

KFC Russia is collaborating with 3D Bioprinting Solutions, a Russian research laboratory, to create the world’s first 3D printed chicken nuggets scheduled for trial this autumn. The GFI’s Executive Director Bruce Freidrich calls this a “game-changer for the industry” and that he hopes the US and Russia compete against each other in this arena.

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