Purists will cringe, but KFC in Britain is introducing Kentucky Fried … ‘vegetarian options.’ More on the makeover:

Q WHAT IS KFC PLANNING?

A KFC says it’s cooking up a new, healthier recipe, one that will be missing the restaurant chain’s most famous ingredient: chicken. The company famous for its “finger-lickin’” Southern fried chicken announced this week that it was testing chickenlike “vegetarian options” in Britain with its signature blend of herbs and spices. “Development of the recipe is still in its very early stages, and so the options we’re exploring in our kitchen are still top secret,” a spokesman said. “Once we’ve perfected the recipe, we aim to test with customers this year, and if all goes well, we hope to launch a new vegetarian option in 2019.”

Q WHY DITCH THE ‘C’ IN KFC?

A The British government is pushing to cut the national consumption of excess calories. Public Health England issued guidelines in March with the aim of reducing the calorie count of some popular foods by 20 per cent by 2024. KFC has a seven-year initiative to achieve such a cut in the calorie count of its servings in Britain, and said its work on vegetarian “fried chicken” was part of that. KFC also seems to be responding to a demand for meat-replacement products. Demand for alternatives has risen in Britain, with consumers spending $374.1 million in 2017, up 56.2 per cent from $239.5 million in 2012.

Q WHAT IS THE COMPETITION UP TO?

A McDonald’s introduced a soy-based McVegan burger in Sweden and Finland in late December. It has drawn customers who had not visited a McDonald’s in years, some of whom have praised it as “top notch” and “delicious.”

Q WHAT IS THE RESPONSE?

A KFC’s announcement provoked mixed reactions on Twitter, with one user declaring that “no vegetarian would set foot in a fried chicken chain.” Another said it was “breathtaking how fast the plant meat 2.0 sector is moving.” KFC chicken is so popular in Britain that when a logistics failure in February forced temporary closure of half of its 900 outlets, some members of the public called the police.