Panda Express Adds First Vegan Entrées After Talks With (and a Wee Push From) PETA
Fast-Food Chain Removes Chicken-Based Seasoning From Vegetable Dishes
For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2019
Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382
Following discussions with PETA, and after hearing from hundreds of thousands of PETA supporters, Panda Express has added the first-ever vegan entrées to its menu. The new animal-free options are Eggplant Tofu, Chow Mein, Vegetable Spring Rolls, and Super Greens Mixed Veggies, which can be ordered with steamed white or brown rice.
Previously, Panda Express used chicken-based seasoning in every single dish except for its plain rice—but after hearing from more than 230,000 people, who urged the company to veganize its vegetable dishes, it agreed to upgrade its menu. The new vegan options—which the company notes are prepared with shared equipment—will be added to all 2,000 Panda Express restaurants by the end of March.
“By adding vegan entrées to its menu, Panda Express has made humane, Earth-friendly meals available in thousands of airports, shopping malls, and other high-traffic locations across the country,” says PETA Director Danielle Katz. “The demand for vegan options is higher than ever, and PETA looks forward to seeing more and more restaurant chains join Panda Express in embracing the future of dining.”
According to a recent study, 70 percent of people worldwide are reducing or eliminating their meat consumption. PETA notes that going vegan reduces one’s risk of suffering from diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease; that each person who goes vegan saves nearly 200 animals a year from enduring a violent, painful death in today’s meat, egg, and dairy industries; and that the United Nations reports that a global switch to vegan eating is vital if we are to combat the worst effects of climate change.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, which is a supremacist view of the world. For more information, please visit PETA.org.
