Bangalore, March. 21 (PTI): It may come as a surprise to many that McDonald's, the company known worldwide for its meat burgers and milkshakes, celebrated "Meatout", an annual affair by advocates of vegetarianism, at select outlets here and Thane by offering a "Vegan Meal" for two days this week.

It was made possible thanks to the efforts of "vegan" advocates from Bangalore-based activist group DIYA (Do It Yourself Activists).

"Vegan" is a lifestyle choice in which no animal products are consumed and no animals are harmed.

Mcdonald's Vegan Meal promotion in the country consisted of a regular iced tea and medium fries which could be used to complete a meal of one of the many McDonald's India vegan dishes including "McVeggie McAloo Tikki" and "Cripsy Chinese", which comes on a bun and are also egg and milk tree, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) release said.

PETA points out that chicken and fish "suffer incredibly" in meat production.

"Health experts agree that going vegetarian is the single best thing we can do for ourselves and our families. The consumption of meat and diary products has been conclusively linked with heart disease, obesity, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, asthma and impotence," the release said.

On average, vegetarians and vegans live six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters, the statement claimed.

McDonald's India is not the only company to offer products labelled as "vegan" in India. Popular chain Cafe Coffee Day offers a "vegan shake" sans milk or other animal products. Lush India marks many of its soaps with a green "V" indicating they contain no animal-derived ingredients.