Will McDonald’s Join Vegan Competition with a Plant-Based Burger?

Germany McDonald’s restaurants have launched their first ever all-vegan menu item: a “bleeding” vegan burger called the “Incredible burger,” made by Nestlé. This is the first vegan option for the chain in Germany, but around the world, McDonald’s has been beginning to slowly roll out vegan and vegetarian options.

Everywhere, it would seem, but the United States. Meanwhile, the fast-food giant is being eclipsed by competitors like Burger King, which recently debuted the Impossible Whopper; and Taco Bell, which is developing a dedicated vegetarian menu. Even Subway could potentially have a vegan-friendly sandwich coming soon in the U.S.

So then why is McDonald’s, one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, falling so behind? Currently, the restaurant does not have any vegan options–even the french fries contain beef flavoring and milk.

According to Business Insider McDonald’s has been simplifying their menu, focusing on speed over variety of offerings. McDonald’s representatives stated that while there were no plans yet to offer a plant-based burger, they are watching consumer trends. Meanwhile, chains like Burger King, White Castle, and Carl’s Jr. have struggled to keep up with demand for their new vegan burgers.

There is hope for McDonald’s, though. Major supplier to the chain, Tyson Foods, recently announced that it had vegan news on the way. Not long after, the company divested from veggie burger maker Beyond Meat, hinting at the possibility of a Tyson-branded meat-like burger. It doesn’t sound like there are currently plans for that burger to make it on to the McDonald’s menu but we can dream, right?

The best way to get McDonald’s to ditch cruelty and pivot towards plant-based options? Tell them we want it. It’s time for us to let the fast-food giant know that we want it to stop dishing out cruel animal products and offer a vegan burger.

To speak up for animals, send McDonald’s a message at cok.net/mcds.

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