The Irvine fast food chain will be testing the meat substitute in Dayton Ohio in mid-October.
Taco Bell is partnering with Beyond Meat on plant-based carne asada that diners in the Midwest will get to try next month.
Beyond Carne Asada Steak is Beyond Meat’s first steak product and it is exclusive to Taco Bell, according to the El Segundo-based company. Taco Bell will be testing it in about 50 restaurants in the Dayton, Ohio, area, beginning Oct. 13. It will be served in quesadillas at $5.19, but it can be substituted in any item on the Taco Bell menu, according to Marissa Thiry, senior nutrition specialist for Irvine-based fast food chain. The tasting included the meat substitute in a soft taco.
“The thing I really love about this is that it’s price-comparative to steak, so it’s not an up-charge,” she said, speaking at a preview of the meat substitute at a 30-acre business park in El Segundo where Beyond Meat is setting up new headquarters. The tech company has leased 280,000 square feet in a property near the 105 Freeway that was formerly an aerospace manufacturing site. Its current offices are about 3 miles away in the same city.
Beyond Carne Asada Steak is certified vegan by the American Vegetarian Association, according to a news release.