Vegan beef burgers made by MorningStar Farms will soon be on the menu of more than 3,000 hospitals and schools.

MorningStar is a division of The Kellogg Company. The widespread launch is a result of a partnership between Kellogg’s and foodservice brand Sodexo.

Rob Morasco is the Senior Director of Culinary Development at Sodexo. He said: “We’re excited to expand our partnership with Kellogg’s Away From Home [its foodservice division] to offer our meat-loving customers a plant-based protein.”

He added that the vegan patty can help those ‘who want to make more sustainable and plant-based choices without sacrificing what they love about meat’.

‘Growing demand’

Morasco continued: “More people are exploring plant-based food options and we’ve seen a growing demand in our industry. Sodexo is committed to a deep understanding of foodservice trends, which allows us to satisfy more of our guests with options that meet consumer demand in an ever-evolving environment.”

Moreover, vegan meat also aligns with Sodexo’s environmental goals, he said. The company aims to reduce its operational and supply chain carbon emissions by 34 percent by 2025.

Sodexo also serves MorningStar’s Spicy Black Bean Burgers, which are vegetarian. MorningStar has said it will update all of its recipes to be vegan by 2021. It’s not yet clear when the change will be complete.