A few months after rolling out pies with meatless sausage, Pizza Hut on Tuesday began offering meatless pepperoni as a topping -- in a handful of U.S. cities to start.

The national chain announced the addition of meatless pepperoni from Beyond Meat at 70 locations in five cities -- Houston; Albany, N.Y.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Macon, Ga; and Columbus, Ohio.

The meatless pepperoni, called Beyond Pepperoni, is being sold as a test in those select cities, Pizza Hut said.

"Beyond Pepperoni delivers just the right amount of subtle heat and offers the same experience and taste of Pizza Hut's classic pepperoni, now with the added benefits of plant-based protein," the chain said in a joint statement with Beyond Meat.

"[It] is made from simple, plant-based ingredients like peas and rice, with no GMOs, soy, gluten, hormones, antibiotics or cholesterol."

Last fall, Pizza Hut introduced meatless sausage as a special, limited offering.

A number of restaurant chains in recent years have added meatless items from Beyond Meat and competitor Impossible Foods, including Burger King, McDonald's and KFC.

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