Plant-Based Options at Fast-Food Chains Saved More Than 600,000 Animals in 2021

In 2021, more than 600,000 animals were saved from the US food system as a result of a prominent fast food chain offering plant-based options. The World Animal Conservation Society (WAP), an animal welfare organization, estimates that around 211,000 pigs, 77,000, last year saw more plant-based foods from the Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods brands in their major fast foods. Cow, 350,000 chickens were saved. restaurant.

After the introduction of plant-based burgers in several fast-food restaurants in 2019 and 2020, plant-based products have once again become a central stage with the continuous launch of plant-based chicken from Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods last year. I did. Beyond Chicken Tenders first debuted at nearly 400 restaurants, including traditional wing shops, pubs and pizzerias, and then expanded its offering of Beyond The Original Orange Chicken to the menu of more than 20 fast food chains nationwide. Expanded to. Beyond Panda Express and KFC Fried Chicken. The Impossible Chicken Nugget has since been tried in some parts of Burger King, which has been offering Impossible Wappers since 2019, and is now available in several other restaurants across the country.

To calculate the animal impact of these new products, WAP used Carl’s Jr. data to estimate the number of plant-based products sold in major fast food chains. The item was released in 2019. WAP applied the same sales rate to all evaluated companies. WAP also assumed that the store is open 360 days a year and people are unlikely to eat more food due to new plant-based items, but rather beyond meat Beyond or Impossible menu options. I am exchanging for.

Vegan fast food saved 1 million animals

WAP’s assessment does not take into account the entire plant-based product market, such as those sold in grocery stores, menu items featuring other plant-based brands, or self-made ones, so in fact The number of animals saved can be much higher. Or Beyond and Impossible products offered in other types of restaurants.

For example, in 2021 alone, Impossible Foods began selling its products in just 150 to 20,000 grocery stores. In addition, Taco Bell tested its own plant-based beef blend in specific locations, and Little Caesars chose Field Roast Pepperoni for a new Planteroni pizza trial in hundreds of locations.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that the real impact on animals from the growing plant-based meat market is likely to have saved more than a million animals,” WAP said on its website. I did. However, the organization also points out that, although that number may seem important, it is only a small percentage of the 9.5 billion animals raised annually in the United States and killed for food.

This year, more fast-food restaurants also saw a similarly impressive expansion of plant-based products. This means that more animal lives will be saved from the food system in the coming years. Last month alone, Chipotle made homemade plant-based chorizo ​​available in more than 2,700 locations nationwide, KFC expanded Beyond Fried Chicken nationwide for a limited time, and Panda Express has two partnerships with Beyond Meat. Expanded with test launch More dishes made with Beyond’s vegan beef.

Read below to learn more about vegan fast food.
The ultimate guide to the top 15 vegan fast food chains in the United States
A vegan guide to eating plants based on Burger King
Nine vegan hacks for your favorite fast food restaurant

Nicole Axworthy is a news editor and cookbook author for VegNews. DIY vegan..