McDonald's announced that it will begin selling veggie nuggets starting next week. Germany will be the first country to have them available on its menu in more than 1,400 locations.
The vegan McNuggets were developed by the well-known company Beyond Meat, one of the plant-based meat companies that Bill Gates has invested in as part of his effort to stop people from developed countries from consuming meat.
McDonald's and Beyond Meat partnership
Vegetable McNuggets, made from peas, corn, wheat and tempura batter, are the second vegan product that the fast-food giant has developed jointly with Beyond Meat. The first was the McPlant burger, made from rice, potatoes and peas. The latter sought to compete with Burger King's Impossible Whopper.
Beyond Meat proved that it is particularly interested in controlling the fast food market with its synthetic food products. The company has already helped develop chicken-free chicken strips and nuggets for other chains, such as KFC and Panda Express. It also began selling plant-based chicken in supermarkets around the country in 2021.
Currently, Beyond's shares are on a downward spiral. Last year they lost almost three-quarters of their value, which reduced their market value to $1.08 billion.
Europe is the perfect continent for introducing vegan products
The reason for launching vegan McNuggets in Europe is because McDonald's found that the continent is one of the strongest niche markets for introducing vegan products, as it is an area more receptive to plant-based meat than the US.
The McPlant burger trial ended in the U.S. in 2022 with "disappointing" results, said BTIG analyst Peter Saleh. So far, there are no plans to release the plant-based chicken nuggets in the U.S.
The fast food giant will also start selling the McPlant burger in Germany. It is now a permanent item on menus in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria and the Netherlands.
The availability of the nuggets and veggie burgers in other countries will depend on consumer demand, the DailyMail reported.
