McDonald’s rolls out tofu McNuggets amid meat controversy

Tofu McNuggets, taste like chicken? (McDonald’s Japan)

McDonald’s Japan is rolling out a brand new chicken-free nugget amid the recent controversy surrounding a U.S. owned Chinese food supplier charged with selling expired meat.

Introducing the Tofu Shinjo Nugget- a deep fried patty made with onions, soybeans, and carrots, according to the Wall Street Journal. These protein packed patties also contain fish paste so they are not free of animal byproducts.

Since ketchup and tofu aren’t exactly a proven pairing, the new nuggets will be served with a ginger-flavored sauce.

“Because it isn’t meat, it tastes a bit different. It’s a bit softer,” the spokeswoman from McDonald’s Japan told the Journal. “Calorie-wise, it is a bit lower than chicken as well.”

If these veggie-patty nuggets seem like your thing, get to a McDonald’s Japan soon- they will only be in restaurants from now until September. A box of four nuggets retails for ¥249 ($2.44).

Tainted nuggets aren’t the only new issue facing McDonald’s overseas.

In Russia, the American burger chain has been slapped with a lawsuit by food regulators in the city of Novgorod, where inspectors alleged that the company misrepresented the fat content and nutritional values of various menu items including its cheeseburgers and shakes, reports the LA Times.

On Monday, a national investigation was launched by food safety agency Rosselkhoznadzor into the possibility of illegal antibiotic-tainted cheese products being used at any of the 430 Russian franchises.

Should any restaurant location be found in violation, they would face the possibility of immediate closure.

Despite allegations, McDonald's said that is has not received any complaints about the quality of its food, and that all nutritional information had been calculated according to standards set by the government.

The Russian problems come amid strained U.S.-Kremlin relations that have seen a ban on American adoptions of Russian children last year, and a decision by fast food chain Wendy’s to leave the Russian market altogether, according to the LA Times.