McDonald’s UK customers share relief after Peta claims chain’s French fries aren’t vegetarian

Isobel Lewis
·2 min read
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McDonald’s fans have been sent into a panic after Peta claimed that their French fries were not suitable for vegetarians.

Customers of the fast food chain have recently shared their disappointment after learning that, in some countries, McDonald’s fries are cooked with beef flavouring and therefore not suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

After a TikTok user went viral sharing this “bad news for vegetarians”, many fans shared their horror online.

“Wait.. whaaaat!? I’m vegan and all I can eat from McDonald’s are fries,” one commenter wrote, while another said: “WTF. Never again.”

The news was publicised by US-based animal rights organisation Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), who shared a post on Facebook reading: “Even McDonald’s FRIES aren’t suitable for vegetarians [angry emoji].”

“They use beef flavoring for their fries,” one comment read. “Fast food places aren’t made for vegans. To be safe I cook at home.”

“Make your own fries and you are in control of what you put in your body!” another wrote.

While the comments sparked further panic, plant-based McDonald’s customers need not worry if they’re based in the UK.

In the UK, McDonald’s French fries are made by McCain’s from Russet Burbank, Pentland Dell and Shepody potatoes.

Their website states that “the fries are not coated in any fats or substances from an animal” and are fried in the UK in a “non-hydrogenated blend of sunflower and rapeseed oil”.

As a result, they are “100 per cent suitable for vegans”.

In 2022, McDonald’s launched the vegan McPlant burger in the UK using Beyond Meat. A vegetarian, but not vegan, version is available in Austria, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands.

In Austria, vegans can try the McPlant Steakhouse burger, while McPlant nuggets are available in German McDonald’s.

There are no fake meat products available in McDonald’s in the US. A trial run was originally due to take place in August 2022, but was reportedly cancelled due to low sales.