Burger King serves up vegan nuggets as fast-food giant commits to 50% meat-free by 2030

05 Jan 2022 --- Fast food giant Burger King has pledged to ramp up its commitment to cutting carbon emissions by shifting to a 50% plant-based menu by 2030. And, kicking off the new year, vegan nuggets are being served up in UK restaurants.

The vegan nuggets are made from soy and plant proteins and certified by the Vegan Society.

Burger King stresses they taste the same as its chicken-based counterparts.

To keep pace with the demand for vegan offerings within the foodservice arena, the vegan nuggets follow other plant-based Burger King offerings, including a Rebel Whopper burger and a Vegan Royale burger.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s recently also launched its vegan McPlant burger in Britain and the Greggs vegan sausage roll and vegan steak bake have proved extremely popular choices in the UK.

Cutting emissions through plant-based dietsBurger King's new vegan nuggets.
Burger King UK wants to boost its plant-based offerings, with chief executive Alasdair Murdoch describing the launch as a “significant milestone.” The company says keeping half of its menu meat-free will help lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 41%.

“We’re pleased to announce the launch of BKUK’s new vegan nuggets across our menus nationwide – an important next step in achieving our target of a 50% meat-free menu by 2030,” Murdoch states.

“Adapting to customer preferences is a key focus at Burger King – we are committed to helping our guests make good decisions about what they eat and drink and providing them with informed choices – whether through clear nutrition and allergen labeling or by offering vegan and vegetarian options.

“The launch is another positive step in reducing our carbon footprint and driving innovation in our menus in response to the growing demand for meatless alternatives and products with no animal protein in the UK.”

This move is in line with the #2 trend from Innova Market Insights for 2022, Plant-Based: A Canvas for Innovation. This trend highlights how global consumers consider plant-based alternatives to be healthier and better for the planet. The desire for diet variation is further boosting interest in plant-based alternatives beyond the traditional vegan and vegetarian sectors, leading to a 59% increase in launches of new plant-based products in 2021.

Edited by Gaynor Selby

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