McDonalds to offer meatfree burger

LOS ANGELES: The Burger chain McDonald’s Corp yesterday decided to debut a line of plantbased meat alternatives called ‘‘McPlant’’ in 2021, including a patty that Beyond Meat said it helped cocreate.

McDonald’s declined to say which suppliers it would use in crafting its own line of vegetarian products.

Beyond Meat was the frontrunner for a contract as it had conducted tests of a socalled ‘‘PLT’’ burger at nearly 100 McDonald’s locations in Ontario, Canada, this year.

‘‘Plantbased products are an ongoing consumer trend. It’s not a matter of if McDonald’s will get into plantbased, it’s a matter of when,’’ McDonald’s chief executive officer Chris Kempczinski said in a call to analysts.

Under its McPlant line, it could offer products including burgers, chicken substitutes and breakfast sandwiches, which it expected to test in some markets in 2021, McDonald’s said. — Reuters

PHOTO: REUTERS A sign for McDonald’s ‘‘PLT’’ burger at a test restaurant in Ontario, Canada.