KFC trials plant-based nuggets and wings

Kentucky Fried Chicken plans to test plant-based nuggets and wings on Tuesday at one of its restaurants in Atlanta.

Depending on customer feedback, the chain could expand the test to other markets.

In June, KFC began trialling a vegan burger in some UK outlets.

California-based startup Beyond Meat said it developed the new product specifically for KFC.

It is made with wheat protein coated in a proprietary breading.

Beyond Meat also sells plant-based burgers which "bleed" in the UK, as well as sausages and meat crumbles at shops and some fast food chains such as Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco in the US.

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Frozen plant-based chicken strips were the first product Beyond Meat sold, starting in 2012, but the company pulled them off the market earlier this year because it wanted to improve the recipe.

Fastfood outlets are responding to a surge in consumer demand for more vegan or vegetarian options.

Greggs' sales in 2018 topped £1 billion for the first time, partly helped by the launch of its popular vegan sausage roll.

Earlier in 2019, Subway also launched a vegan range, while Burger King launched a plant-based "Whopper".

The number of vegans in the UK quadrupled between 2014 and 2018, leaping from 150,000 in 2014, to 600,000 in 2018.

The UK meat-free market is estimated to grow from £559 million in 2016 to £658 million in 2021, according to Mintel's 2017 Meat Free Food report.