This is just the beginning for Taco Bell
Starting today Taco Bell will be testing a new boldly seasoned plant-based protein made from a blend of chickpeas and pea. Dubbed the Cravetarian Taco, the new product will be tested at a Taco Bell location in Tustin, California.
The announcement follows ongoing conversations with World Animal Protection and marks the first time in the United States Taco Bell is testing a proprietary plant-based protein option. It was widely reported in January that the chain has plans later this year to create a new protein with Beyond Meat that is unique and something not yet seen in the industry, but Taco Bell will be simultaneously testing other meatless options as well.
According to a statement shared with World Animal Protection, the Cravetarian Taco will be priced at $2.19 and substituting the plant-based protein will be no extra cost, making it easy and affordable for customers to replace seasoned beef on all of Taco Bell’s fan favorites.
Additionally, the statement reiterated Taco Bell’s commitment to providing more plant-based options, saying, “By testing and offering a wide breadth of meatless options, Taco Bell doubles down on its pledge to bring more innovation to the vegetarian space. Fans who are vegetarians, veggie-curious and meat-eaters will be bound to find their next plant-based obsession.”
World Animal Protection applauds Taco Bell’s commitment to offering customers a sustainable and kinder plant-based protein option. In doing so, the chain is helping to make plant-based eating easier and more accessible, which will help reduce meat consumption. Eating less meat has the potential to put an end to cruel factory farming, including practices such as extreme confinement, the overuse of antibiotics, and brutal mutilations.
Through our original research that was published at end of 2020 on the animal impacts of food chains offering plant-based options, we were able to estimate that nearly one million animals will exit the food system each year. Driving the global demand away from factory-farmed meat is companies meeting their customers' concerns about the planet, their health, and animal welfare. A Gallop poll from last year found that 1 in 4 Americans have been eating less meat in the past 12 months. Similarly a Mintel report on dining out that found more than one in five diners want restaurants to offer more plant-based entrees.
Taco Bell’s announcement today is a sign of progress. Around the world, food companies are expanding their menus to include more plant-based options. World Animal Protection looks forward to continuing this critical conversation with Taco Bell and other food chains. Our vision is to create a world where respect for animals and nature sits at the heart of our food system, which is equitable, sustainable, resilient, and capable of feeding the world.