Jumping on the meat-free plant-based bandwagon, fast food giant KFC has launched a vegan version of its signature crispy chicken burger in the UK. The burger, called “The Imposter”, uses a Quorn fillet coated in KFC’s Original Recipe herbs and spices, lettuce, and vegan mayo in a soft-glazed bun. The burger, a first for the American fast food chain, will be sold in select KFC restaurants in London, Bristol, and the Midlands for four weeks starting June 17.
According to KFC, the Imposter Burger has 450 calories, practically the same as the chicken equivalent at 475 calories. The Imposter Burger contains 18.8g protein, while its chicken counterpart contains 29.7g protein. At £2.99, the vegan burger is cheaper than its chicken alternative, which costs £3.99.
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KFC joins Gregg’s and its vegan sausage roll in using the widely available mycoprotein, with both companies calling their product ‘bespoke’. It is also the latest in a series of fast food chains trying to capitalize on the public’s growing appetite for meat alternatives.
After launching a meatless burger in Germany in May, McDonald’s is trialling vegan chicken McNuggets in Norway. Burger King recently announced that they were expanding distribution of their popular meat-free burger Impossible Whopper to 100 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since Quorn is a meat substitute that gets its protein content from a fermented fungus, KFC describes the burger as “a triumph of deception” and claims it “delivers on taste, crunch and succulence”.
“We know… it’s unfair. Vegans have been cruelly denied the incredible taste of KFC up to now, which is why we’ve worked hard to perfect The Imposter – a vegan burger that the Colonel would be proud of,” Victoria Robertson, chief vegetable enthusiast at KFC UK & Ireland, said in a statement sent to Plant Based News.
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“A vegan KFC? We couldn’t believe it either. But we’ve done it – working with KFC we’ve created a bespoke Quorn fillet that does the Colonel’s recipe justice. We have no doubt that KFC fans are going to love the modern take on a finger lickin’ favorite,” added Tony Davison, head of Global Foodservice & QSR at Quorn.
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Dawn Carr, director of Vegan Corporate Projects at PETA, described the burger as ‘game-changing’:
“We’ve been so excited to hear about this and play a part in KFC’s journey to reaching this game-changing new vegan range. We’re confident it will be a huge hit with the skyrocketing numbers of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians around the UK. Clucking marvelous!”
The ingredients listed in a Quorn cutlet are: Mycoprotein (86%), Egg White and Yeast Extract. It contains 2% or less of Calcium Chloride, Calcium Acetate, Onion Powder, Sage, Sugar. The Quorn box says it is non-GMO, but it does not appear to be Non-GMO verified.
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*Article originally appeared at Anonhq.com
