The American hamburger giant McDonald’s has started selling meat-free hamburgers in Sweden and Denmark. Under the name McPlant, plant-based meat burgers are now being prepared on a trial basis.
According to the company, the trial sale of the McPlant Burger began in January at various restaurants in the chain. In Sweden, the trial runs until March 15, and in Denmark until April 12. If there is sufficient demand, the Beyond Meat burgers will also be added to menus elsewhere in Scandinavia.
It is notable that McDonald’s does not deny collaborating with the supplier Beyond Meat, which already works with the Burger King chain. This means that competition in this segment is significant.
McDonald’s has had plant-based options on the menu since 1997, and in 2017, McDonald’s Sweden was the first in the world with a fully vegan burger – the McVegan. With the launch of McPlant, a burger made from one hundred percent plant-based meat, McDonald’s further expands its vegan offerings.
Earlier research showed that just over one-third of Scandinavians classify themselves as flexitarians. The publication adds that the Dutch food giant Unilever began selling vegan Magnum ice cream in Sweden and Finland in 2018.
The alternative schnitzels and hamburgers at McDonald’s in Sweden and Denmark are grilled on the same grill as their beef products. This might pose a problem for vegan diets, reported news agency Bloomberg.
Brands International Inc., owned by Burger King, faced similar issues in 2019 when it began grilling plant-based schnitzels on griddles also used for regular meat.