McDonald's Says No Thanks To Plant-Based Burgers (qz.com) 142
An anonymous reader shares a report: A top executive at McDonald's says the chain does not have plans to bring back plant-based options after a test of its McPlant burger in San Francisco and Dallas failed. "It was not successful in either market," Joe Erlinger, McDonald's U.S. president, said during the Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum in Chicago on Wednesday.
American consumers are not coming to McDonald's looking for a McPlant burger or other plant-based proteins, Erlinger added. The chain had previously partnered with Beyond Meat to make McPlant burgers and nuggets. Plant-based items are off the menu for now, but Erlinger didn't rule out the possibility that salads could one day make a return. That'll depend on whether customer demand is there.
"If people really want salads from McDonald's, we will gladly relaunch salads," Erlinger said. "But what our experience has proven is that's not what the consumer is looking for from McDonald's." Instead, consumers are looking for french fries, $5 meal deals, and hot, fresh sandwiches, he added.
American consumers are not coming to McDonald's looking for a McPlant burger or other plant-based proteins, Erlinger added. The chain had previously partnered with Beyond Meat to make McPlant burgers and nuggets. Plant-based items are off the menu for now, but Erlinger didn't rule out the possibility that salads could one day make a return. That'll depend on whether customer demand is there.
"If people really want salads from McDonald's, we will gladly relaunch salads," Erlinger said. "But what our experience has proven is that's not what the consumer is looking for from McDonald's." Instead, consumers are looking for french fries, $5 meal deals, and hot, fresh sandwiches, he added.
McPlant McFacePlants (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, don't give up your day job..
Re: McD finally does something right. (Score:4, Insightful)
Trolling from parent aside, I don't think that this is a changing market. No one wants plant based burgers. You could argue that people want EVs because they can charge them from home and save up on the bill with solar panels and less maintenance needed, but people want plant burgers... because?
Much like the article from yesterday about taxing cow farms, this is a top-down change backed by people who want to save the world by changing the behavior of the people who don't care, or can't afford to.
In this case, general capitalism says that people want their greasy meat patties more than ever.
Re: (Score:2)
people want plant burgers... because?
Well in the USA about 4% identify as vegetaian and 2% id as vegan so thats over 10 million people, and thats just the US te numbers are higher in some countries. Even then a number on non-vegetarins are interested in cutting back on red meat either due to health or ethical or environmental concerns.
Also plant burgers have existed since at least the 1990's they were just called Morningstar Garden Burgers they just were not leaning into the mimicry of meat as much. They're even pretty tasty if you treat the
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
#1 that is a clickbait listicle and everything they listed is an acute problem or exacerbating an existing health problem.
Also absolutely does not address my point. Do those concerns of beef production and consumption exist or not?
The fallacy of relative privation rejects an argument by stating the existence of a more important problem. The existence of such a worse issue, the fallacy insists, thereby makes the initial argument irrelevant. This fallacy is also known as the appeal to worse problems or [academy4sc.org]
Re: (Score:2)
So you think the overall health implications of eating beef are comparable to eating tomatoes? I think you are using dosis sola facit venenum without really understanding what it means...
https://www.health.harvard.edu... [harvard.edu].
apocalyptic geopolitical predictions, thats not meteorology
Yeah it's not meterology, it's climatology, something I leanred the difference between in 6th grade earth science... if you don't know that why should i trust your opinion any of this?
Re: (Score:2)
Beyond Meat's stock peaked at $234,90. It's currently $6,84. (Impossible foods is private)
The massive hype about realistic fake meats never made sense to me [slashdot.org].
Re: (Score:2)
Good thing the question was not about the stock performance or hype cycle of any of these companies so this is a complete non-sequitor.
The question was "why would people want plant based burgers". I never claimed this was a majority of people, only that a market actually did in fact exist for them and has for decades.
Re: McD finally does something right. (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm a vegetarian, and I've never understood all this focus on making hyperrealistic plant-based meat. People who eat meat usually don't want it, and many vegetarians like myself absolutely don't want something that reminds us of eating a corpse. This is not universal - there are meat eaters who will choose it for e.g. environmental benefits, and some vegetarians still like meatlike meat substitutes. But how broad the appeal of realistic fake meat is has always seemed dubious to me.
I love a good veggie burger, but not with the patty as some concoction designed to closely resemble meat (often down to the level of fake blood!). Give me some fatty umami-rich mix of tasty vegetables. A base of something like lentils, black beans, potatoes, chickpeas, or whatnot, with a lot of other veggies mixed in, and well spiced, then fried with a strong Maillard reaction and maybe a bit of smoke.
(And as a vegetarian not a vegan, throw a good wedge of a nice cheese on it! ;) But of course without it for the vegans - such burgers are good even without cheese )
Re: (Score:2)
and many vegetarians like myself absolutely don't want something that reminds us of eating a corpse
You don't speak for all vegetarians. A significant portion of vegetarians don't give a fuck about animals but are starting down the path based on various other trends, such as lower carbon lifestyles of not eating meat.
I have such a vegetarian coming over to my place tomorrow. Like the kind who said to me a few days ago "I've not eaten meat for over a year, but I can't wait to eat your pulled pork burgers." (BBQ tomorrow, smoker has been running all day)
I have friends who are vegetarians to appears their si
Re: (Score:2)
I literally stated that I don't?
Define "significant portion". Counterpoint [yougov.net]. 89% of vegans and 70% of vegetarians think that the way animals are raised for food is cruel. A much higher rate than for the environment, which is in turn a much higher rate than for health.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Well.....DUH! (Score:3)
I bet the meat-based corn and potatoes don't sell well either.
Re: (Score:2)
I bet the meat-based corn and potatoes don't sell well either.
Those sound good. Is there somewhere else that I can get them?
Re: (Score:2)
I bet the meat-based corn and potatoes don't sell well either.
God damnit... what am I going to do with all this Morn and Porkato I've got ready to ship?
Re: (Score:2)
where can i purchase this co called meat based corn?
Well, first you have to track down the carnivorous corn plants.
Blind Taste Test: McDonald's Beef vs. Plant-Based (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Blind Taste Test: McDonald's Beef vs. Plant-Bas (Score:5, Interesting)
I actually enjoy the Burger King Impossible Whopper (tm), particularly when recently prepared
I find it to be an acceptable alternative to a nice hamburger because I am trying to cut down on my carnitine intake due to its effect on cardiovascular health [biomedcentral.com]
I never tasted the McDonalds product, but imo McPlant is just a bad name
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Blind Taste Test: McDonald's Beef vs. Plant-Bas (Score:5, Insightful)
Just let me customize any burger with the plant patty. There's no need for a different sandwich with a stupid name.
Re: Blind Taste Test: McDonald's Beef vs. Plant-Ba (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Not a problem...
I"ll be more than happy to eat your share and take up the slack...I love meat.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I definitely enjoy a nice bean patty over anything that tries to emulate beef. I'm a veg, but I don't think it's "disgusting" though, just not my thing. To each their own.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm in the camp of "meat is fucking disgusting...... buuuuuuut I really like the taste of hamburger", so the Impossible scratches an itch. Before that, I had simply used Garden Burger patties- which are also delicious as hell
Re: (Score:2)
Don't know about where you are, but in the UK:
"There are 630 calories in 1 serving of Burger King Impossible Whopper"
McDonald's Cheeseburger
1235 kJ | 294 kcal
Quarter Pounderâ with Cheese
2132 kJ | 509 kcal
Big Mac®
2061 kJ | 493 kcal
Re:Blind Taste Test: McDonald's Beef vs. Plant-Bas (Score:4, Informative)
Don't know about where you are, but in the UK:
"There are 630 calories in 1 serving of Burger King Impossible Whopper"
McDonald's Cheeseburger 1235 kJ | 294 kcal
Quarter Pounderâ with Cheese 2132 kJ | 509 kcal
Big Mac® 2061 kJ | 493 kcal
You should compare it to a normal Whopper, which has 660 calories [burgerking.ca]. 743 if you add cheese, even though they are better without cheese.
Re: (Score:2)
The plant based burger would be chewable.
Re: (Score:2)
Wait until they slap a $1 carbon tax on each burger sold and see if the economics change.
In my area a Big Mac already costs over $9 with tax. Bump that up $10 with a carbon tax and a plant-based alternative might become popular.
World's First Carbon Tax On Livestock Will Cost [Denmark's] Farmers $100 Per Cow [per year] [slashdot.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Seattle metro Big Mac® $8.29 590 Cal. https://www.ubereats.com/brand... [ubereats.com]
Add 10.35% tax and you are over $9
I tried the McD website directly but it wants a specific location and balks at me using uBlock Origin
Could make an incredibly good plant-based burger (Score:2)
Add a black bean burger to the menu. Black beans just being black beans. Plenty of my fellow carnivores would probably like it.
Re: (Score:2)
Have you tried it? You can at Burger King and many others.
I haven't done that, but I've tried fake meat a few times (once intentionally, two or three times due to their intentionally deceptive packaging). The difference is massive. The fake meat products I've tried are not even close to actual meat. Not in texture, not in taste, not in anything.
Re: (Score:2)
FWIW, I've tried the Burger King Whopper with their normal beef and impossible patties side-by-side. If you don't know which is which going in, it can be hard to tell. For taste and texture, impossible beef does really really well. An ultra processed food, but it's just the experience/taste/texture that bothers you, it's a good option. I'm fairly sure it's a good bit healthier too, on paper at least.
Approach (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
The only sensible way to create meat from plants is through a cow pathway.
I believe steers are an acceptable alternative to cow. I grew up on a dairy farm and ate many cows. It was only as a teen that we had steers to eat and I could not taste the difference, both were quite delicious.
Plant protein processed by a cow that is then butchered and cooked is delicious and good for you.
Meat is good food. I'm seeing evidence that having a high meat diet is good for one's physical and mental health. Cow is good food, so is steer. Pigs and chicken are perhaps cheaper alternatives with much the same benefits but beef is really good food. Eat some veggies but also eat cattle. Ca
Re: (Score:2)
Beef is meh compared to horse meat.
Re: Approach (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Have you ever been to a slaughter house and meat processor? You aren't eating pure cow....not sure what you are eating.
McDonald's is too expensive anyway (Score:5, Insightful)
Making customers whore themselves with an app for "deals". Trying out an AI ordering system then dropping it. McDonald's needs to stick with what they know instead of soaking fatsos paying Five Guys prices for less-than-stellar fast food.
Re: McDonald's is too expensive anyway (Score:2)
A double-double combo increased from 9.20 to 10.80 - more than 17%. That is quite a lot.
Re: (Score:3)
I take it you've never worked in the
Re: McDonald's is too expensive anyway (Score:2)
This has been studied over and over and the results are everywhere, but given your history I'm not surprised you got this wrong.
For real restaurants, what you say is true. But fast food has so much more volume and is produced so much more quickly that the math is obviously different.
Re: McDonald's is too expensive anyway (Score:2)
False - In-N-Out prices have increased in my area (San Fernando valley) and they were already paying better than average labor costs.
Re: (Score:2)
In-N-Out increased prices slightly. McDonald's increased them dramatically, and is now closing down "underperforming" but still profitable stores.
I was just at Wendy's today, I used to work for them when I was teenager, and their prices are still quite reasonable. They're higher than they were back then, but they're behind the average price increase in fast food since the start of the pandemic. So, in fact, is In-N-Out Burger.
Re: (Score:2)
A double-double combo increased from 9.20 to 10.80 - more than 17%. That is quite a lot more than slightly.
I tried a salad at mcd's once, it was pretty shit (Score:3)
Maybe one day they'll bring back their pizza's, those were awesome.
No need to dress it up (Score:5, Informative)
Personally, I eat plant based food aplenty (not a vegetarian, nor am I an obligatory meat-eater). There are great many tasty options out there that do not include meat. The need to make non-meat look and taste like meat is misguided, IMO. "Obligatory" meat eaters, as a rule, will not be interested, and non-obligatory meateaters just don't need the fakery.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm a long-time vegan (over 30yrs), and try and read a lot of comments from non-vegans in threads like this, and I see this so much.
I too am puzzled by the obsession. They keep making 'meatier and meatier' burgers, but it's not really having much impact.
And I see comments like yours, which I interpret to say 'just make tasty food'. Similar comments are 'I really enjoy bean burgers and other veggie burgers that aren't actually trying to mirror the flavour of meat'.
But no, these heavily invested companies kee
Re: (Score:2)
Re:No need to dress it up (Score:5, Interesting)
30 year vegetarian. I really like fake meatier burgers. I just wouldn't go to mkd's for one. There are about a dozen burger joints in 3 miles that have better food (small college town). About half of them have excellent vegetarian options. About a quarter of them have poor veggie burger options (but decent salads, etc). And about a quarter of them have no veggie burger options and very poor veggie options.
There are 2 reasons to go to McDs: cheap food; it's the only thing open.
Re: (Score:2)
I imagine the plan was to usurp the meat industry with a similar but cheaper product, in theory potentially even tastier. If cows can do it I'm sure we can do it better. In fact I think it's inevitable in less than 1,000 years.
Re: No need to dress it up (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Personally, I eat plant based food aplenty (not a vegetarian, nor am I an obligatory meat-eater). There are great many tasty options out there that do not include meat. The need to make non-meat look and taste like meat is misguided, IMO. "Obligatory" meat eaters, as a rule, will not be interested, and non-obligatory meateaters just don't need the fakery.
This is the first of my two problems with "meat replacement" products. If you're replacing meat you're pretty much admitting you still need meat in your diet. Otherwise you can go to literally thousands of vegetarian recipes that are filling, tasty and nutritious. I'm quite happy to make a meal without meat, it can be cheap and often good if you're not feeling that well (yeah, welcome to getting old).
My other issue is, why aren't you openly saying what's in it? I don't care what it the "not meat" isn't,
Re: (Score:2)
Waiting on alternatives (Score:2)
I imagine McDonalds is investigating or developing lab grown options. Their top protein needs are pressed paties and fryable nugget meat which seem like prime candidates for industrial processes if they figure it out. I think we're at least a decade off but i bet eventually a lab grown pattie could pass a blind taste test and be cheaper overall.
Can do some nice things with tofu (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I was with him until he said "tofu"!
Re: (Score:2)
I'd go for just fried tofu in a square patty. The Japanese (American version) is agedashi tofu...crisp fried (in a batter) tofu. Beats the panties off any cow meat.
Re: (Score:2)
Agedashi tofu is usually cooked in fish broth and frequently served sprinkled with fish flakes. That's fine if you are a pescetarian, but not great for a strict vegan or vegetarian.
Misleading title (Score:5, Insightful)
McDonald's didn't reject it, the consumer base rejected it.
I see the same thing in grocery stores all the time. Full shelves of plant based meat products that no one is buying.
It's time to admit this experiment has been a complete failure.
Re: (Score:2)
I have seen some vegan "meat alternatives" in stores and, yeah, it looked like nobody was buying them. Well, I bought some sausage just to try it. It tasted mostly like meat. So that's OK.
However, its price was probably double that of a real sausage. The only people who would buy it are those who like the taste of meat, but do not want to eat meat for political reasons. Everyone else will either not buy meat (because they don't like it) or will just buy the real meat that's cheaper.
Re: Misleading title (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Not sure where you live, but I live in a place where the grocery store shelves - all of them - tend to be full all the time. The stores keep people on staff specifically to ensure the illusion (or reality) of boundless plenty by restocking continuously. Just by eye, I wouldn't know if this or that product had high or low turnover.
You'd think that the grocery store would ditch a product
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Full shelves of plant based meat products that no one is buying.
Are you saying a full shelf indicates that no one is buying it? Where I live, I see full shelves of meat-based meat products. But I don't conclude that no one is buying them. Since those items have shelf-lives, if you want to see if they are selling look at the price and the expiration date. The plant-based meat products are more expensive, which means the stores think they can charge a premium for them, similar to gluten-free products. Otherwise, supply and demand would require the prices go down.
Yeah, but... (Score:3)
Mc Donald's salads were awful (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Before they were removed from the menu, the salads were kept way beyond their shelf life, and served that way. It was the lowest form of salad imaginable. Back when they debuted, they were great really good quality, but after being around for decades it slipped badly. I would eat them again if they were good.
I never touched a McD Salad because I feared their "green salads" were truly GREEN. And now you confirm my concerns.
Re: (Score:2)
Salads were only put on the menu as tokenism "hey we have healthy options", even if there was no intention of promoting them as an alternative. McDonalds know better than anyone that ultra processed foods are addictive and they only enjoy repeat business by selling them. That's why governments need to legislate and control what they sell because the industry sure as hell won't.
Local Burger King stopped selling salads. (Score:2)
Some time ago I made a stop to the local Burger King and made my usual order of Whopper with bacon and cheese, large fries, large Dr Pepper, and side salad only to be informed that they no longer offer salads. I don't know if this is something decided store by store or is franchise wide but I didn't get a salad like I had so many times before. I don't recall exactly when this happened but it must have been in the last couple years by my guess.
Since I like my veggies I will often go to the local Chinese re
Re: (Score:2)
I had a side salad the last time I ate in a Burger King (at an airport about two years ago) and it was the most disappointing salad I've ever had. About a handful of wilted lettuce, two cherry tomatos, a teaspoon of sweetcorn and a slice of onion. Choosing not to put salad on the menu would have been an improvement.
That aside, I'm not sure that you're using "food desert" in the same way as other people. I've only previously seen it in the context of lack of grocery shops selling fresh ingredients to cook at
Re: (Score:2)
When they talk about food deserts they are talking about grocery stores.
$5 meal deals, and not, fresh sandwiches (Score:2)
At least that's how I read it, and my brain was: NOT fresh from Mc Donalds? Makes sense.
They already rejected meat-based burgers (Score:5, Funny)
long ago.
Re: (Score:2)
Let me guess (Score:2)
Trial goes - "try our plant burger it's $2 more than the normal burger but you'll pay that hipster tax right?" And then to the surprise of nobody trial fails and the conclusion is "nobody wants plant burgers". Foregone conclusion.
Re: (Score:2)
I suspect it's more along the lines of:
Regular McDonalds Customer: I'll have my usual. I don't bother reading the menu to see if they have anything new that their advertising could entice me to try.
Vegetarians: I never go to McDonalds anyway. The fact that they're offering a
So? (Score:2)
It's not just the vegetarians they will be missing (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Marketing (Score:2)
All the times I have entered McDonalds and seen the McPlant in the menu, nothing about its name drove me to try it.
I'm already liking having a couple of meat free burgers a week at home. Aldi to a "no beef" burger patty that is made from peas and has a decent texture. They also do a "no chicken" range including piri piri chicken fillets and burgers, which make a nice spicy burger. I like my burgers so to get a bit more veg into me I have those a couple of times a week, leaving usual meaty dinners as is l
Here in the UK (Score:2)
Here in the UK, we have the McPlant as a regular menu item... and a salad bag is offered as an alternative to fries. I cannot believe that demand for either of these items in America is so low that it's not worth McDonalds offering them. Do you guys just not eat salad ever?!
They do have salads and veggie elsewhere (Score:2)
Caveat should be "in those markets". In my market they do have salads. And there are veggie burgers apparently in India where they don't even serve beef (I want to try their Maharaja Chicken!) and several other countries too. My guess is veggie burgers cost a lot of money to make if they are any good, and Houston is not where you expect people to order them..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org].
They lose either way... (Score:3)
BK got blasted for using the same cooktop to cook the plant based burgers and so people cried taht they are forced to eat animal even if they order the plant based option. They demanded that the chain have separate dedicated prep for plant based burgers or they wouldn't order them.
Also, the fact that there doesn't seem to be a *huge* audience for people that want plant pretending to be meat. A lot of the people going for vegetables and fruit wanted, well, vegetables and fruit, not some attempt to imitate something it is not.
If it had been cheaper *and* actually taste the same as beef, then maybe you would have a market of people to spend less on a burger. But generally neither of those were achieved and the products were marketed on "you are a better person if you don't eat meat", which isn't going to win over people who have lived their lives eating meat.
stupid idea (Score:2)
Burger King introduced fake meat burgers with a big "look at us" marketing campaign.
Then they quietly pushed it down in visibility. Now it's just an option that they barely advertise at all.
Because burgers with fake meat are a stupid idea. A burger is all plant-based except for the meat. People who crave a burger want exactly that combo. The combination of tastes and textures makes it tasty.
Re: (Score:2)
Burger King introduced fake meat burgers with a big "look at us" marketing campaign.
Then they quietly pushed it down in visibility. Now it's just an option that they barely advertise at all.
Just like every other product they sell.
The French market wants salad, not just fries (Score:2)
Here, in France, we have the salad option in menus at McDonald's as an alternative to fries.
https://www.mcdonalds.fr/nos-p... [mcdonalds.fr]
And one can even get a standalone salad.
https://www.mcdonalds.fr/nos-p... [mcdonalds.fr]
Maybe for specific markets. (Score:2)
I think they can consider this for specific markets - for example I think McDonalds had at least one or maybe two types of veg burgers in India, when I was there last. Nothing with beef or pork. It's been a few years, but I doubt it's changed.
Presumably a plant based burger may work well over there. And in other similar markets with alot of vegetarians around.
I've had the 'Beyond Burger' before at Carls Jr. (Score:2)
Fresh? WTF? (Score:2)
I don't call fresh, a 3+ week old FROZEN burger made up of 100 cows from multiple countries with it's own FDA beef grade lobbied by McDonalds because it was unfit for human consumption! (really! they just cook it more to make unfit become safe!)
These are the people who were into pink slime and probably went back to that. Furthermore, I don't classify cow shit as 100% beef even if it came out of a cow while being butchered too quickly. This is why they made a new grade of beef to allow you to literally eat
Re: (Score:2)
Probably just as well (Score:2)
Background: Been pescatarian for decades.
In Oregon there's a franchise called Burgerville. They used to offer a veggie-burger based on the Gardenburger. Recently they switched to an all-vegan sandwich, with some kind of vegan sauce and vegan cheese. It is nasty. I've tried it a couple times and gave up. No wonder vegans look like plague victims.
I'm not a fan of the beyond burger. It seems like they're trying too hard to make it seem like beef and ends up not making it much of anything. Beyond is in-
Re: (Score:2)
That's exactly why the "healthy" options at McD's fails so spectacularly.
Everyone knows it's unhealthy, so offering healthy options when you're wanting unhealthy options is not going to work.
That's why the salads failed, the McPlant failed, and even the healthy options for the Happy Meal had problems. McDonald's was taking a loss on every apple, for example, and yet they were still tossing out apples.
Re: (Score:2)
The salads failed because they were basically bags full of lettuce with two cherry tomatoes. And some vinegar. At least that's what they were around 20 years ago when I last had one.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Who goes to McDonalds for healthy? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Well, this In-N-Out burger place apparently is quite limited in where it is located...I think it's mostly limited to California or close by?
I've only heard of them...never seen one in the wild during my travels in the US.
I've not been out west much at all...at least not to CA.
Re: (Score:2)