Could the next chicken war be vegan?

Diners have more choices than ever before, and that include vegans. Impossible Foods launched its plant-based chicken product for restaurants this week, while rival Beyond Meat launched a chicken nugget this summer, according to a CNBC report.

The chicken sandwich war of 2018, between Popeye's and Chick-Fil-A has since fizzled out, but more players have entered the field, with everyone from McDonald's introducing a chicken product to Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco.

But vegan products may be the next big hit. With chicken shortages affecting even the biggest players like KFC, plant-based chicken products may become the next best thing if done correctly, according to one industry expert.

Lucas Bradbury, who launched the brand Project Pollo, told Nation's Restaurant News that plant-based chicken "isn't a fried piece of tofu. This is the future of chicken," according to the CNBC report.

With more vegan products available than ever before, plant-based consumption is up over the past two years, a CNBC report found. The NPD Group has stated shipments of plant-based chicken products was up 82% in April 2021 compared to a year ago, and over 25% compared to April 2019.

As chicken supply chain shortages plague the big brands, those experimenting with plant-based chicken products may find themselves winning the non-chicken war.