It’s Kentucky Fried Chicken — hold the chicken.
KFC YUM, -1.20%[1] is developing a vegetarian version of its fried chicken that’s made from plants, the company announced this month. The product is being developed first for its locations in the U.K., where other fast-food restaurants such as the vegan Temple of Seitan have already been successful[2] with faux-meat products, FoodBeast reported.
KFC is trying to reduce the calories per serving of its foods by 20% by 2025, and this is just one of the initiatives to do that, a company spokesperson said. “The development of the recipe is still in its very early stages and so the options we’re exploring in our kitchen are still top secret,” the spokesperson added.
See also: Tyson, fresh from lab-grown meat, is now investing in snacks made with recycled ingredients[3]
The chicken chain is responding to growing demand. Sales of “meat replacement” products, including versions of commonly-eaten meats made of wheat-based seitan, the chicken substitute “chik’n,” tofu-based deli meats and soy burgers and sausages have risen sharply in both the U.S. and the U.K.
Goldman Sachs GS, -0.03%[4] called “meatless meats” one of the hottest[5] emerging trends in December 2017. In the U.S., consumers spent $698.6 million on meat substitutes in 2017, up 25.6% from $556.3 million in 2012, according to the research firm Euromonitor International. (In the U.K., consumers spent $374.1 million, up 56.2% from $239.5 million in 2012.)
In contrast, meat is still wildly popular in the U.S. and is closing in on $100 billion annual sales, according to market research firm Packaged Facts. Total retail sales of red meat are expected to reach $72.3 billion in 2018, up from $71.3 billion the year before, while poultry retail sales are predicted to reach $19.8 billion in 2018, up from $19.7 billion the year before, the company said. ...
Chilled meat substitutes were the fastest-growing processed meat and seafood category for both 2016 and 2017, Euromonitor International found. This growth happened as the broader processed meat and seafood categories have struggled. Many former meat eaters have health[6], environmental[7] and animal welfare[8] concerns. The faux meat category appeals to consumers who want to buy foods with “clean” labels, often boasting that they are organic, have non-genetically modified ingredients and include ingredients widely considered to be healthy, including beans and legumes, experts say. Sales of meat substitutes are projected to continue growing through 2022, Euromonitor found. Don’t miss: