New Delhi: The plant-based meat movement has picked up steam with many fast-food chains jumping on the trend in recent years — the latest being KFC, which added a new plant-based alternative called “Beyond Fried Chicken” to its menu in the US last week.
“Tastes like fried chicken but made from plants. Not prepared in a vegan/vegetarian manner,” is how the company’s website describes the limited-time offer.
With this, KFC has become the first major fast food chain to introduce a plant-based chicken product to their menu, as many others had limited their alternative offerings to plant-based (pork or beef) sausages and hamburgers.
KFC has partnered with Beyond Meat, a Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes, to produce this alternative for people who, according to KFC US president Kevin Hochman, “want to eat a little less animal-based protein, but haven’t become vegan or vegetarian”.
The new plant-based fried chicken alternative was rolled out in KFC outlets across the United States from 10 January. It comes in a combo meal that includes a medium drink and fries, or separately, as six- or 12-nugget packs. The 6-nugget pack has been priced at $6.99 (approx. Rs 518).
According to a report by USA Today, the new offering was an instant hit, with the nuggets selling out in less than five hours last Tuesday in one Atlanta area location.
Plant-based alternatives
Several other fast food chains have rolled out similar plant-based meals.
In August 2021, Burger King in collaboration with food start-up Impossible Foods launched “Impossible Whopper”, a plant-based patty, for a limited time. While the burger was made with a plant-based, protein-filled patty, the latter, the company acknowledged, “was cooked on the same broiler as beef patties”.
Similarly, beginning this year, Chipotle Mexican Grill, an outlet known for its tacos and burritos, added meatless chorizo, the company’s first new meatless protein alternative, to their menu. Chorizo is a type of sausage that traditionally involves the use of chopped or ground pork. However, the new plant-based chorizo is certified vegan, containing 16 grams of protein per serving.
In India, Udaipur-based food tech start-up Gooddot is responding to the demand for plant-based meat. It sells products ranging from “Unmutton Keema”, a plant-based version of traditional keema, to “Vegicken Curry Kit”, a plant-based curry.
Other companies that are working to expand food options for vegans in India include Urban Platter, Veggie Champ and Vezley, while websites such as vegandukan.com offer such products online.
(Edited by Rohan Manoj)
Also read: There’s more to being vegan than plant-based meat. It’s not as healthy as you think