Fast food giant McDonald's will in 2021 be launching "McPlant", a new plant-based burger to cater to the growing number of people in the United States who do not eat meat, it announced on Nov. 9.

McDonald's has fallen behind to rival Burger King, which was the first to launch a vegetarian version of its iconic "Whopper" burger in April 2019 in the United States.

McDonald's had already tested out a plant-based burger in Canada with Beyond Meat, a company that makes vegan meat substitutes.

Companies Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger have developed products that closer resemble meat in taste, texture and color by using soya, which has been around for a long time.

The new line will be produced exclusively for McDonald's.

McDonald's will reach out to third-party suppliers and did not specify it is renewing its collaboration with Beyond Meat.

Previously, in September 2019, McDonald’s debuted Beyond’s P.L.T. burger in southwestern Ontario, Canada.

That test ended in April 2020 with McDonald’s saying it would continue to evaluate its options on the plant-based burger front.

McDonald's told investors this time round in October 2020 it was also considering plant-based substitutes for chicken products and for its egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches.

"We are excited about the opportunity because we believe we have a proven, delicious-tasting product," said Ian Borden, who heads McDonald's international operations.

The company will continue with classic items on its menu but also aims to put a new emphasis on chicken-based products, which are growing faster than the market for beef products.

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