Panda Express has brought back its Beyond Meat orange chicken for a limited time to select stores following a massive outcry from customers craving the meatless entrée.
Fast Company reports that the temporary return of this menu item, which was first introduced in 2021, came after a flurry of complaints from customers. This included a petition that garnered more than 7,000 signatures.
"Panda Express has discontinued serving the Beyond Meat orange chicken, the only vegan/vegetarian entrée option," the petition said. "Now, millions of people will not be able to have a full meal other than sides at Panda Express. The people are outraged as seen in the comments on various social media accounts."
Though it was a massive hit upon its original release, Beyond Meat orange chicken was always meant to be a limited-supply menu item, Fast Company explains. It is unclear why the dish's return, which started July 3, is also temporary.
Eating a vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diet reduces risk for heart disease, stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and many cancers, according to the American Heart Association. In fact, the "plant-slant" diet, which focuses heavily on beans, whole grains, and vegetables while limiting meat, is the diet of choice for some of the longest-living communities on earth.
Cutting meat intake — whether you decide to go with a plant-slant diet or cut meat out entirely — also helps reduce carbon pollution. That's because the raising of livestock to produce meat, eggs, and milk is the source of 14.5% of all planet-warming pollution.
If we continue to let the earth's thermostat spin out of control, we can expect to see the worst consequences of rising global temperatures, including more frequent heat waves that make people more susceptible to heat-related illnesses, droughts that threaten global food supplies, and more frequent and severe natural disasters that threaten lives and destroy homes.
Signers of the petition to bring back Beyond Meat orange chicken at Panda Express expressed their passion about having a meatless menu option through video and text comments.
"I've never been so happy and thankful to have a food brought back," one person commented. "It's only 6:11 a.m. right now, and I can't wait until the store near me opens today so I can run down there and get some!!"
Another added: "We haven't been back to Panda Express since they removed the Beyond Orange Chicken. A new launch would guarantee our return!"
"We've never received so many social media comments for guests begging for us to bring a dish back," a Panda Express spokesperson told Fast Company. "It's our No. 1 most requested dish on social media."
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