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Beyond Meat burger could be coming to McDonald's

Canadian locations are testing out the plant-based patty.

Shelby Brown Editor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
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  • She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Shelby Brown
2 min read
plt

Will the P.L.T. get the McDonald's 'I'm lovin' it' seal of approval?

Beyond Meat; screenshot by CNET

McDonald's is firing up tests for the Beyond Meat burger. The fast-food chain will be conducting a 12-week test of a P.L.T (plant, lettuce, tomato) sandwich at 28 McDonald's locations in Canada, Beyond Meat tweeted the news on Thursday. The plant-based patty will start appearing in Southwestern Ontario on Sept. 30

Beyond Meat says the patty has no artificial colors, artificial flavors or artificial preservatives.

"Being of service to McDonald's has been a central and defining goal of mine since founding Beyond Meat over a decade ago," Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat CEO and founder, said in a release. "It comes after a long and productive collaboration to make a delicious plant-based patty that fits seamlessly into McDonald's menu, and we're thrilled with the outcome."

Ann Wahlgren, McDonald's VP of global menu strategy, said the restaurant chain is eager to hear customer feedback about the P.L.T.

"This test allows us to learn more about real-world implications of serving the P.L.T., including customer demand and impact on restaurant operations," Wahlgren said in the release. 

Plant-based meat has been gaining public interest over the past year. The Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger seem to be the leaders of the pack. But not everyone is on board with the new trend. Last month, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said that while the plant-based patties might be good for the environment, they're not healthy. The same month, Beyond Meat teamed up with Kentucky Fried Chicken to experiment with a line of plant-based chicken. The Impossible Burger is already available at restaurants such as Burger KingWhite Castle and Red Robin.

Watch this: Which plant-based burger is best? Impossible Burger vs. Beyond Meat Burger