The Zhitong Finance app learned that McDonald's (MCD.US) previously announced that it would launch the artificial meat product McPlant, and the role of Beyond Meat (BYND.US) in this process was questioned. Now, one analyst says the company is probably just one of a few suppliers at best.

Although McDonald's has previously tested Beyond Meat's burgers in Canada, since McDonald's did not mention this artificial meat manufacturer in its initial statement, outsiders generally believe that the company's products will not be among McDonald's new products. However, after the company revealed that it actually helped McDonald's develop McPlant, people believed it would play a more important role.

Notably, after speaking with McDonald's supply chain executives, a UBS analyst said that the products offered by this fast food chain can rarely determine a unique relationship with the supplier, and that few products have a specific brand logo. However, this is not unheard of; Coca Cola (KO.US) is one example. McDonald's has always placed a high value on relationships with suppliers and is seeking to work with existing suppliers where possible.

UBS said that if McDonald's restaurants in the US can sell about 60 McPlant burgers every day, then the annual wholesale revenue of related suppliers will reach about 365 million US dollars. If McDonald's reaches cooperation with the three suppliers, it is estimated that each supplier will receive 120 million US dollars in annual sales according to an even distribution method.

There is also a possibility that Beyond Meat will become the sole supplier. The company's CEO Ethan Brown said during the Q3 earnings call that he believes the company's brand should be on the McDonald's menu because “using our products will maximize everyone's interests.”

Strangely enough, however, many analysts have found that both McDonald's and Beyond Meat's management teams seem unwilling to confirm a partnership or indicate an intention to cooperate.