KFC To Test Plant-Based 'Meatless Chicken' In Atlanta

[left-of-center2012]

KFC is set to serve meatless chicken for the first time — testing the new menu items on Tuesday at a single restaurant location in the Atlanta area. Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., says it will offer "plant-based chicken" developed in partnership with the California startup Beyond Meat. The new menu items, which will come in the form of nuggets and boneless wings, will be debuted at a restaurant in the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna.

The company, which didn't immediately release nutritional information on the meatless chicken items, said customer feedback from the Atlanta trial "will be considered as KFC evaluates a broader test or potential national rollout."

KFC's meatless trial also comes amid a growing consumer trend away from meat products and toward alternatives, such as plant-based meats. Euromonitor reports that global sales of meat substitutes were at $19.5 billion in 2018 and that U.S. sales are expected to reach $2.5 billion by 2023.

The KFC trial follows Burger King's market test of the Impossible Whopper, a plant-based hamburger developed by Impossible Foods, a Beyond Meat rival, earlier this year. It led Burger King to roll out the burger to more than 7,000 of its restaurants earlier this month.

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754603931/kfc-to-test-plant-based-meatless-chicken-in-atlanta

[customerserviceguy]

1. If they don't fry it

in a completely separate fryer dedicated only to fake chicken, the veggie-types won't go for it.

[athena]

10. It's not intended for vegetarians and vegans.

It's intended for meat-eaters who are trying to improve their diet while contributing less to animal suffering and environmental destruction.

The vast majority of vegetarians and vegans are not interested in these types of meat substitutes. As a vegan, I wouldn't eat this stuff because it's got way too much saturated fat. I feel no need for it. It is, however, much healthier than meat. It has no artery-clogging cholesterol, for example. So it would make a lot of sense for someone who would normally eat chicken flesh to eat this stuff instead, at least some of the time.

[customerserviceguy]

15. Well, I simply made that statement

based on all the comments on the fake burgers sold by Burger King.

I guess the vegans and vegetarians consider both things to be "training wheels" for people to come over to their lifestyle.

[brewens]

2. "Meatless Chicken"? Did they name it yet? I'd call it "The Donald". n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

6. People might think it's duck ... nt

[rurallib]

3. then maybe the chickens will vote for Colonel Sanders

[Runningdawg]

4. The only thing I want less than real KFC is fake KFC

[Wolf Frankula]

14. Agree 100%

If I want fast food chicken, I go to Popeye's within walking distance of my house.

Wolf

[El Supremo]

5. Soylent Green!

[left-of-center2012]

7. Soylent Green was not plant based

[El Supremo]

9. Well KFC says this stuff is "finger lickin'".

It could be literally true.

[athena]

11. If you look into factory-farm practices,

you will see that the real "Soylent Green" is the piece of chicken flesh on your plate. Have you ever asked yourself why you're supposed to wash your hands after touching raw chicken? 83% of chicken was found to have harmful bacteria (see link below). Chicken substitutes, on the other hand, don't have this problem. You can lick the stuff while it's raw, and you won't get sick.

You can feel free to eat as much chicken flesh as you like, by the way. I couldn't care less. It's your health and your conscience you're throwing out the window. The factory-farm industry, on the other hand, cares deeply. They're laughing all the way to the bank!

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20061204/harmful-bacteria-found-in-most-chicken#1

[ThreeDimensional]

8. Everyone jumpin' on the fad

They all tried this before about 15 years ago. It didn't catch on then, I doubt the concoction of scores of ingredients they've come up with this time will catch on now.

If you want meat, eat meat.

[athena]

12. Eat as much meat as you like.

You're the one who will be getting the heart attacks and Alzheimer's. And you're the one lining the pockets of factory-farm CEOs with your hard-earned dollars.

I, on the other hand, am loving my heart-healthy, brain-healthy, animal-loving, and earth-loving vegan diet that allows me to sleep like a baby every night.

https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/cholesterol/

[smirkymonkey]

13. I rarely eat fast food, but I would try this.

I would like to see some healthier options offered with "meatless meat", i.e. not deep fried, but I am interested in moving toward a more plant based diet even though I am not committing to becoming a vegetarian just yet. Lately I have noticed that I am just less interested in meat and find vegetarian dishes more appealing, but I haven't sworn off meat entirely.

I love seafood too much and also the occasional meat dish, but I could definitely see myself becoming 75% vegetarian (as long as I can have my cheese every now and then) eventually in the near future.