McDonald’s Austria has begun serving the new McPlant burger across the country. Despite its name, the burger is not entirely vegan, and seems more likely aimed at vegetarians and flexitarians. The McPlant consists of a vegan patty, but is served with dairy cheese and egg-based mayonnaise and cooked on the same grill as meat.
The McPlant will be available at all of McDonald’s restaurant locations in Austria while stocks last. The burger has already been tested occasionally in Canada, Sweden, and Denmark and has received very positive feedback. The burger is made with a Beyond Meat patty, which McDonald’s emphasizes is unique to its menus and differs from the famous Beyond Burger that is already available to consumers elsewhere.
Currently, it is Burger King, –McDonald’s biggest competitor– who leads the way regarding plant-based food innovations in the fast food industry and McDonald’s is at risk of falling behind. The global fast-food chain is at this time developing its McPlant platform with a three-year partnership with Beyond Meat. However, McDonald’s has yet to add a plant-based meat option to its menus in the US.
Certainly, the burger can be “veganized” if consumers do not mind the possibility of cross-contamination, with the omission of cheese and mayonnaise. However, most vegans would argue that McDonald’s is “deveganizing” a perfectly vegan burger with those additions in the first place.
