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McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

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Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#151
post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the appeal of a vegan pizza? Is it even pizza without cheese?

As someone who has eaten vegan pizza, no, it's not, it's an abomination. Just make a veggie/vegan lasagna instead...

I've found so far, vegan cheese either melts and doesn't taste good or doesn't melt and tastes good. And by good I mean in comparison to mass produced cheese. It'll be awhile before there's a good, vegan alternative to homemade mozzarella. However, there doesn't need to be. The vast majority of cheesy/non-vegan food that's eaten is low quality ingredients.

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you priced the externalities, plant-based food is an order of magnitude cheaper, at the very least.

If you priced the externalities in fossil fuels would be cost prohibitive, but a sizable political faction, particularly in the US, views Pigovian taxes as equivalent to totalitarian Communism, and an influential if anti-scientific set of economic viewpoints views externalities as either unreal or not practically subject to internalization. So, I wouldn't hold your breath.

> an influential if anti-scientific set of economic viewpoints views externalities as either unreal or not practically subject to internalization

That’s interesting, if not too surprising, unfortunately. Is there somewhere I can read more?

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the appeal of a vegan pizza? Is it even pizza without cheese?

Cheese isn’t necessarily dairy-based

Vegan 'cheeses', however delicious, are cheese only by analogy with real cheese, which is necessarily dairy-based.

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#155
purely driven by curiosity, not vegan or health-concerned or anything, it still took me a very long time (years) to one time take a chance and try an Impossble burger somewhere (think it was A&W). One night I just decided to take the plunge.

It was 'fine'. But nothing is really incentivizing me to have it regularly. I kind of want to be mislead -- don't tell me it's a plant-based burger. If the studies are consistent, I'll think it's fine.

McDonalds finally taking the plunge into this is big for markets as is anything they get into. I suspect that they finally see the numbers working as far as consumer-readiness and competitors all selling them now also. So that indicates it must be working somewhat at the other places like Burger King etc. Has anyone you know said they eat plant burgers regularly tho - other than veggie/vegan friends??

Maybe McNatural would be a better name, less focused on the Plant aspect which I agree will turn ppl away.

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would they really get that angry? Most people know that "Chicken" McNuggets are only modestly-chicken-based (and are primarily corn starch and whatever other stuff). McNuggets are still a top seller, even though real 100% Chicken Tenders were on the same menu right next to them for years. Similarly McChicken "nugget-paste-based" sandwiches are on the McDonalds menu, right next to 100%-real Buttermilk Chicken sandwich…

IIRC McDo in the UK advertise their nuggets as "100% breast meat". They clearly aren't as they have batter, but I assume they mean "the meat portion is 100% chicken breast" yet have a niggling feeling they mean "the meat we put in is all chicken breast but we put textured soya/other fillers in too". One of the problems with all the lying in advertising is you never quite know how cynical you need to be.

The McDo menu varies pretty dramatically from country to country, I wouldn't be surprised if they are telling the truth in that instance.

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#157
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The price of animal agriculture products is artificially lowered by direct subsidy, price controls, and indirectly lowered by the unaccounted ecological costs. It is largely a matter of policy rather than a reflection of market forces. On a level playing field, the cost competitiveness is there. For instance, in New Zealand, one of the largest dairy export markets, I can buy a vegan pizza for the same price. In fact,…

What is the appeal of a vegan pizza? Is it even pizza without cheese?

There are a few groups that are making "real" vegan cheese, ie modifying e-coli or yeast to produce the same milk proteins, and then going through the cheese making process. One such is Real Vegan Cheese [https://realvegancheese.org/].

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"buried the news about reduced calories and fat in the tiniest type on the remotest corner of their Web site." Exept how do you reach your target audience now? Vegans wont be checking the remotest corner of the mcdonalds website every sunday. Worst of all, you'll probaly piss off meat eaters who might feel deceived, your main customer.

Would they really get that angry? Most people know that "Chicken" McNuggets are only modestly-chicken-based (and are primarily corn starch and whatever other stuff). McNuggets are still a top seller, even though real 100% Chicken Tenders were on the same menu right next to them for years. Similarly McChicken "nugget-paste-based" sandwiches are on the McDonalds menu, right next to 100%-real Buttermilk Chicken sandwich…

Its only ever a minority that gets outraged or praised over certain things. not entire groups as a whole. I would hypothetically fall in to the category of being 'outraged' over not explicitly mentioning the fact that the burger that I eat contains soy instead of very low quality meat. especially if I have the expectation of a regular mcdonalds burger. There is enough grey area in what is fit for human consumption when you look at certain additives sugar replacement and now you allow companies to not even have to put meat in a product that pretends to contain meat?

Hypothetical ofcourse as I dont go to mcdonalds

Re: McDonald's is adding plant-based burgers to the menu

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"buried the news about reduced calories and fat in the tiniest type on the remotest corner of their Web site." Exept how do you reach your target audience now? Vegans wont be checking the remotest corner of the mcdonalds website every sunday. Worst of all, you'll probaly piss off meat eaters who might feel deceived, your main customer.

Would they really get that angry? Most people know that "Chicken" McNuggets are only modestly-chicken-based (and are primarily corn starch and whatever other stuff). McNuggets are still a top seller, even though real 100% Chicken Tenders were on the same menu right next to them for years. Similarly McChicken "nugget-paste-based" sandwiches are on the McDonalds menu, right next to 100%-real Buttermilk Chicken sandwich…

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