More than 160,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to urge McDonald’s to introduce a vegan option in the United States. Vegan author Kathy Freston started the petition more than five years ago but, according to a Change.org representative, has gained substantial traction since Burger King launched the plant-based Impossible Whopper earlier this month. “Traditionally, vegan and vegetarian options at fast-food restaurants have been limited to a few salads or wraps. The outpouring of support for Kathy’s petition shows that people are craving more meatless items,” Tegan Gregory, a campaigner at Change.org, said. “Whether it’s for dietary, ethical, or sustainability reasons, people are unifying on the petition and the Burger King news has everyone feeling optimistic that this will be the year that McDonald’s finally takes the leap.” While McDonald’s has debuted vegan items overseas—such as the McVegan burger it added to its Nordic locations in 2017—the fast-food chain has yet to widely offer vegan options in the US. “Plant-based and animal-based burgers have become nearly indistinguishable in taste. The consumer wants options, and so far, McDonald’s has not heard us,” Freston said. In addition to Burger King, a number of fast-food chains have added vegan options this year, including Carl’s Jr. which debuted the vegan-friendly Beyond Famous Star at more than 1,000 locations nationwide in January. “As the battle for the best meatless burger ramps up, McDonald’s is being left behind by its biggest rival.” VegNews has reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
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