McDonald’s Phases Out McPlant Burger and Salads Amid Consumer Shifts

McDonald's (MCD) is the most recent corporation to acknowledge that a previously flourishing trend can no longer be considered working to its advantage.

The fast-food chain recently disclosed that it is experiencing success with its new $5 menu, which was introduced on June 25 and provides customers with a $5 meal that includes a McChicken, four-piece chicken nuggets, or a McDouble, along with fries and a drink. However, it also disclosed that a few major plant-based menu items will not be returning to restaurants in the United States due to a lack of demand.

McDonald's to Cut McPlant Burger and Salads Amid Changing Customer Preferences

McDonald's is contemplating a significant menu change to win back more frugal customers.

Joe Erlinger, the President of McDonald's in the United States, stated during the WSJ Global Food Forum that salads will not be available again on the menu because of the poor demand for them. He also noted that the plant-based McPlant burger would be terminated because it could not pique customers' interest.

Erlinger made the statement during the conference. "I do not believe that the consumer in the United States is coming to McDonald's looking for the McPlant or other plant-based proteins," he added.

In 2016, the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger were introduced, which caused the topic of plant-based meat to become extremely popular. Both burgers were designed to have the appearance and flavor of natural beef, and they featured components such as beans, soy, artificial flavors, coconut oil, and other similar ingredients.

McDonald's even partnered with Beyond Meat (BYND) in 2021 to produce the McPlant burger, which was then put through its paces in several different places across Louisiana, California, Texas, and Iowa.

Consumer interest in plant-based meat decreased throughout the subsequent few years. Compared to the previous year, the market for plant-based meat in the United States shrunk by 3.6% in 2023, according to a report published by the market research organization Mintel. As a result of the challenging economic climate, customers are drawn to more "affordable dietary choices." They are "hesitant to invest in unfamiliar products amidst financial instability," according to the survey. This may be the reason for the fall in sales.

Health Concerns and Consumer Response to Plant-Based Beef Products

There have also been some worries regarding the level of healthiness that consumers might expect from plant-based beef. The meat has been criticized for being "ultra-processed" and for not carrying sufficient amounts of vitamins such as zinc, potassium, magnesium, and other essential nutrients compared to genuine meat.

Beyond Meat has responded to the low sales, and customers might not like it.

In 2019, Frank Hu, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, stated in an interview with The Harvard Gazette that there is a possibility that certain plant-based products may include undesirable components.

"Some of those products, despite the fact that they contain high amounts of plant-based protein, may also contain unhealthy ingredients, such as high amounts of sodium or unhealthy fats," said Hu. "These products may contain both of these things." A plant-based diet does not necessarily mean it is healthier than other diets.

It has been claimed that start-up companies that create plant-based meat are resorting to significant modifications to attract a bigger audience to their products. This is in response to the drop in demand for their products.

According to a story published in February by The Washington Post, businesses are beginning to experiment with incorporating animal fat into plant-based products in an effort to prioritize flavor above sustainability.

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