"Flexitarians" in Denmark and Sweden may find the new "McPlant" burger a welcome treat, as the fast-food giant has already debuted a trial run of its new product in the area.

The new burger from McDonald's features a delectable patty made from rice proteins and peas, reported Bloomberg. The fast-food chain co-developed the unique patty with Beyond Meat, which is said to be juicier and also lower in saturated fat, giving health buffs another good "fast-food" option.

The "McPlant" burger trials have already commenced in both countries. In Sweden, it will be available until March 15, while in Denmark, the trial will run until April 12. The result of the trial will be evaluated before the company would start rolling out to other markets.

The Verge reported that a press release from McDonald's in Sweden noted that the McPlant burger would be the new option for those who were loosely vegetarians but still eat some meat. The company referred to this group as the "flexitarians" considering that the plant-based patties are still grilled on the same grill as the beef burgers, thereby not making it technically "vegan."

McDonald's McPlant is part of the newest trend among fast-food companies that are going for alternative meats. Apart from McDonald's jumping in on the trend, there was also BurgerKing, KFC, and Qdoba. Burger King and Qdoba got their plant-based "meat" from Impossible Foods, which is a competitor of Beyond Meat.

Previously, McDonald's Canada also collaborated with Beyond Meat on their "P.L.T.," which was "plant. lettuce. tomato." It was marketed by Beyond Meat as a juicy plant-based burger, and yet despite that, McDonald's did not categorically call it vegan, since it was also cooked on the same griddle as its beef burgers.

McPlant in Sweden McPlant in Sweden
McDonald's roll out McPlant in Sweden and Denmark. Photo: Pixabay

With many fast-food chains going for plant-based alternatives, the trend may continue. After all, even Dunkin' and Starbucks have included products that come from either Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat.

Bloomberg noted that Scandinavia, where Sweden and Denmark belong, is a primary market for plant-based alternative products. It can be recalled that in 2018, Sweden and Finland had their vegan Magnum ice cream after Unilever rolled out this unique product in the said countries.