Fast food chain McDonald’s is trialling a new vegan ice cream dessert in selected restaurants across the northwest UK, ahead of a potential national launch next year.
Available in chocolate and strawberry flavours, the new Vegan Scoop line has been accredited as vegan by the Vegetarian Society.
Its ingredients include rice, glucose syrup, dextrose and coconut oil, alongside emulsifiers, thickeners and flavourings. Each pot of the frozen dessert contains less than 100 kcal, providing a lighter option than the chain’s dairy-based classic McFlurry desserts.
In addition to the new ice creams, McDonald’s UK is introducing McFreezy, a vegan-accredited frozen ice dessert made with fruit juice and puree, available in either orange or mango and pineapple flavour.
While the Vegan Scoops have been accredited as vegan and do not contain milk as an ingredient, McDonald’s has cautioned that they may be unsuitable for consumers with milk allergies due to potential traces through the company’s manufacturing process.
The new desserts are the latest plant-based innovation to be unveiled by McDonald’s UK following the national launch of its McPlant burger in 2022.
Vegan Scoop is currently available via a selected trial run in 52 restaurants in the north west, while McFreezy will be available for the summer season until 3 September, in selected restaurants in the north west of England and Republic of Ireland.
