Have you tried a Burger King meatless/vegan Impossible Whopper yet? I did! It tasted good, it should for 630 calories, but it was somewhat dry because I had to get mine microwaved, since I am allergic to beef and they’re prepared in the same broilers as regular Whoppers. (More on their cooking process here.) Burger King markets their Impossible Whoppers as a vegan alternative to beef, and they technically are, but not if you care about ingesting trace amounts of meat, and not if you’re allergic to it like me. They’re now being sued for this.
A bunch of vegans are suing Burger King because they want to have their Impossible Burgers their way … pristine, without any meat residue on the grill.
Phillip Williams just filed a class-action lawsuit, claiming the burger giant advertises the Impossible Burger as a vegan alternative to its meat burgers, yet they’re all cooked on the same grill.
Williams says his burger was contaminated by meat byproducts. He bought the burger in question in ATL.
The lawsuit says Burger King has no disclosures on its menu that would notify a consumer prior to the purchase of the Impossible Whopper that it was cooked in a manner that would result in meat by-products on the burger.
He notes there have been numerous complaints posted online by outraged vegans.
Williams not only wants damages … he wants the judge to order Burger King to stop cooking Impossible Burgers and the OG burgers on the same grill.
Do you remember when McDonalds got sued to stop frying their fries in beef fat in the early 2000s because it violated people’s religious beliefs? I am so on board with these lawsuits. To be fair to my local Burger King, they took all precautions when I told them I was allergic to beef. However it’s ridiculous that a huge company like this would not make provisions for their locations to have a separate grill for vegetarian food, especially when they’re marketing it as such. It would be logistically difficult to implement, but fast food franchises make system-wide changes like this all the time when they get new menu items. This is a big oversight, especially because they’re not even informing people.
I asked my vegan friend on Instagram (if you comment on my posts and stories you’re my friend, also on Twitter), Brittney, to comment on this as I’ve seen her posts about eating tasty Impossible Whoppers. She had such a thoughtful response I wanted to include it. She wrote:
I’m under no illusion that every restaurant kitchen keeps animal products completely separate, and my veganism is about boycotting animal products and increasing demand for (and therefore access to) plant-based products… not keeping my body pure. But I don’t have any allergies, so I’m sure I’m speaking from a lot of privilege when it comes to cross contamination.
To Brittney it’s ok that there’s some cross contamination, and I’m impressed by her motivation for being vegan that’s wonderful. I understand why other vegans don’t want their food touching meat. It can be a matter of near-death for people like me, although again BK makes accommodations for allergies. I would also like to see a separate grill for the Impossible Whopper because I’d like to taste it as intended.
This guy is so enthusiastic I had to post this!
Also this cracked me up so hard!
That is like expecting a pork and beef rib restaurant to be kosher. It is nice if they are but assume they aren’t.
+1
Or expecting a pizza place to really properly produce and handle a “gluten free” crust.
Really this is a trial ballon for fast food burger franchisees-there are not that many vegans per cap and they are not trying to get ‘those few vegans’ to eat fake meat at a meat restaurant-This is an industry seeing the future and how unsustainable mass production of beef is looking 10 years out. This is about their bottom line and stockholders not accommodating vegans with separate grills. That being said-I am a vegan and personally love that I have access to a ‘fast food’ and look forward to better plant based pork or chicken like products-(I grew up with meat and know some vegans find it gross if substitutes are too ‘life-like”
I agree-the only reason to eat these is environmental. they have the exact same nutritional info including saturated fat as a beef burger. the idea you’re a vegan and you go to burger king and think your veggie burger hasn’t touched meat? girl please.
I’ll be honest, I don’t eat fast food. Nor do I watch a lot of tv. My husband texted me a few days ago about this, and my response was that the suit was probably based on the cross contamination from the grill, but it would also depend on whether Burger King was advertising the impossible whopper as vegetarian or vegan. The few commercials I’ve seen do not state vegetarian or vegan, but it looks like from tags on instagram and twitter, BK IS advertising it as vegan. So valid basis for suit.
It’s totally gross to be served a food that is strictly vegetarian, only to find it has been cooked on the same grill as meat ugh! I was a veggie for years and I remember going into restaurants, asking if their soup was vegetarian. They would always say it was because Non-veggies don’t always see the issues and they figure if there are vegetables in the dish, it’s vegetarian, no matter if it also contains beef broth, chicken broth, or small amounts of beef products. They need to be EDUCATED to know that any flesh or byproduct from an animal makes it completely non-vegetarian. Cooking on a meat grill, hello??
I mean, all they’d need at ours would be a TINY little additional table top grill. Our BK is never busy, and this is a pretty small town with a reasonably small vegetarian/vegan population.
I could see it being more trouble for a larger restaurant in a huge city area, but if they’re THAT busy, they would have the revenue to invest into an upgraded grill or whatever. And if a town has more than one BK, how hard would it be to make sure at least ONE of them had a separate grill?
It’s just as hard as it is for diners, breakfast places and other restaurants to get a $25 toaster that’s dedicated to toasting the gluten-free buns that they are happy to boast they can provide (for an additional $1-2). I run into this all the time. Twice in the past week, I’ve had to (patiently) explain that it’s much safer if they just wrap the bun in a paper napkin and stick it in the microwave to warm it up and I will not penalize anyone for it not being toasted. And I don’t like explaining I’ll be sick for several days if they do not.
Cross-contamination is a real concern for people with allergies and many forms of food intolerance. For one, gluten (glue-ten, get it?) is a very sticky molecule, making food preparation half the battle. A little science education would go a long way … but that seems like a lot to ask at this moment in time.
Most restaurants are not in the “we understand food, diet, nutrition-related health” business. It’s just a product and the explosion in individual understanding of specific nutrition-related disorders, allergies and intolerances, as well as the wider variety of diets followed for health or philosophical reasons, must be really overwhelming for many outlets.
I really appreciate the restaurants, usually smaller and non-franchise/non-corporate owned, that take the time to understand and support their customers’ needs.
WATP, Thanks for your insights. I’m vegetarian, nearly vegan but not quite, but I also don’t have any allergies or sensitivities, so I’m ok with some cross contamination. It’s so true that fast food places especially are in the money making business more than anything. It’s really scary for people with deadly allergies.
My son’s dining halls at his university have a whole separate area that’s gluten free and includes a toaster. This year they even opened an allergen-free dining hall with no eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish or milk. I asked my son if he’s tried it, because he prefers to eat gluten free, but he he says their hours are pretty limited so he hasn’t gotten there yet.
I have a new appreciation for the university offering those options, knowing it was likely an uphill battle for a while to get to this place.
Esmom, same. I’m vegan for ethical not health reasons, which is why I’m still not likely to walk into a Burger King at all (unless traveling and desperate) but I’m so glad they’re selling these and might convert a few meat eaters to a more veggie lifestyle.
Ugh, I can’t even imagine having to find somewhere safe here to eat gluten-free. Actually, I remember seeing an ad for a newer non-franchise place that was saying something like “Better Gluten Free Food” or something, so there’s definitely an uptick in people taking the time to think about allergies/sensitivities.
I get an awful reaction to sucralose. Not sure if it’s a literal allergy or what – I’ve only recently narrowed it down – but it’s hell, and I end up in a ton of pain/stomach issues when I have it. I can go ask for a black iced coffee and it just throws the workers at the chain places for a complete loop. One time my husband had picked me up coffee – requested black coffee, iced. McDonalds handed him their normal dairy/sweetened iced coffee. When he went in to ask for them to remake it the girl was like “Oh. Well. I didn’t know how to make that”. I really don’t think there’s a drink on their menu that is any easier than pouring black coffee onto ice. But the fact that she just ‘didn’t know how’ to make it (terrifying in itsself) but then decided to just make something completely different instead of asking someone else what to do is so outrageous. And I consider myself to be pretty lucky since it’s not really a life or death thing for me. But for other people IT COULD BE. I ended up writing up an email with the date, time, receipt number etc. and really drilled it home that it was completely unacceptable because she could have made me really sick. Or if it’d been someone with a worse reaction, it could have hospitalized them.
I’d prefer if they cooked them separately but in the end, I’m just really happy that more and more places are offering veg alternatives. For me, that’s the goal – getting more people to enjoy foods that aren’t animal products and making them more and more easily accessible.
From an allergen perspective, they should have been up front about this from the get go.
This! All of this!
Agreed. I haven’t been to Burger King in decades and I stopped in a couple weeks ago for an Impossible Whopper. My son was stunned because he knows how longs it’s been, lol.
Had an impossible burger at a ballgame a few months ago and almost cried with joy at having the option.
Here’s the problem fir vegans that do this… Burger King isn’t going to pay for new conveyor griddles for every store. Way too costly. So what will they do? Get rid of the impossible whopper completely. People with such a severe meat allergy probably shouldn’t order food from Burger King. Sorry.
And this is the kind of attitude that gets us nowhere. Assuming one lost before the fight. I say this respectfully @Original, because I was like this too. But living in the UK gives me hope as this country has changed so much in terms of veganism, animal rights, in just a few years to a point I am now baffled by. Little by little. Even if the lawsuit is lost, there will be others.
Edit: even on CB I notice a difference about veganism since a few years back to now.
BK is still a business. It is not worth the expense to totally re-design the kitchen or restaurant itself to sell an extra 20 burgers a day.
If a person with a severe peanut allergy saw a sign at a restaurant, touting “peanut free”, but the item was tossed in peanuts, should that person just “know better” and not go there?
When something is called “plant based” or “vegan”, a person should be able to assume that it is free of meat.
Eh… I got an Impossible Whopper last weekend and woke up at midnight to spend the next two hours getting sick. For people who haven’t eaten meat in a really long time (14 years for me), consuming any amount of meat can make you really really ill. You’re right that it’s not going to kill someone, but it’s unfair to say that because you won’t literally die it’s not a real or comparable problem.
@kristen it may have been the meat that got you sick or all the crap they put in these burgers to make them tasty. Have you looked at the ingredient list?
@Jadedone I haven’t looked at the ingredient list, but I’ve had Impossible Burgers at a number of other restaurants before and never had a problem.
came here to agree with Kristen, I haven’t ate meat in many years and it makes me very sick when I do accidentally ingest some. Just because it doesn’t kill me doesn’t make it ok or enjoyable or anything I’d choose. If something is labeled vegan or vegetarian it shouldn’t have meat in it or animal gease on it. otherwise that’s false advertising. I think we can all agree lying about a product is wrong.
@Marigold
I’m a mom to a child with anaphylactic allergies – I also live the allergy life. The point I was making was, in no way, attempting to minimize the severity of actual life-threatening allergies.
My words were a total miss-step, and I acknowledge my error.
The point I really wanted to make was about labelling. If a company is going to label something as {food product}-free, they need to stand behind that claim, no matter what it is.
Are you allergic to all mammal meat, celebitchy? Just curious, I’ve heard about tick bites that can make you allergic to all mammal meat. If its too intrusive of a question, nevermind. I sometimes dont know what is or is not appropriate to ask…
Yes I am open about this. I found a lone star tick on my back on June 6th and a few days later I went into anaphylaxis from a ham sandwich. The good thing is that I realized what was happening and had actually written about this allergy a few months ago. I talked about it on our podcast episode 20. (I don’t expect everyone to listen to it! I can’t catch up with my favorite podcasts and I listen to them regularly.)
That must be so hard to manage. Ill check out your podcast about it.
I’m so sorry you’re still going through that. I commented before, I got bit last year but didn’t know it, and last June got REALLY sick with Lyme disease. It took several weeks and several doctors to figure out what was going on, even though I’m in prime tick country, and about a full year and 3 rounds of antibiotics to finally feel better, though I still have some lingering things. I hate those little bastards so much, I’m sure you feel the same!
I think that BK should notify people that the burgers are all cooked on the same grill. that way, people can make their own choice to what extent it bothers them, or if they have food allergies they can ask for accommodations, etc. Brittney’s response seems thoughtful to me and makes sense, but obviously different people have different reasons for not eating beef. And that’s an important thing there to me – as you, CB, pointed out – this isn’t just about people who eat vegan, many people avoid beef for a variety of reasons, even if they eat other meat. So I think BK should definitely notify people.
If it hurts sales of impossible burgers, then they should reconsider using a separate grill etc.
The very first time I went to BK and tried one of these the sign said to tell them if you wanted it made NOT on the grill that they made meat on, it was right there on the sign, they were aware from day one that some people it really did matter to if it was cooked on the grill.
Yeah, same here. I saw signage about it, too. Maybe not all BKs did that?
That was my experience too. I used to sometimes get the garden burgers from BK when traveling, but they were awful. The Impossible burger is more than adequate – although full of fat, salt, etc. It is really nice to have the option for my vegetarian self. (I am more concerned about the planet and animals than on a restricted diet).
as a recovering vegetarian I am on board. I always knew that the veggie food was cooked in a kitchen with meat and possibly the same utensils or grills. If you made a choice not to eat meat then you shouldn’t be expected to eat ANY meat. Seems like an oversight, if you’re going to offer a vegan burger, you would think they would automatically make adjustments to the kitchens.
Having said all that I never understood the point of meat replacements. As a vegetarian I never ate veggie sausages etc.
I became vegan 4 months ago; while I don’t reply on meat subsitutes, it is nice to have the option of grabbing something quick when I’m out and sometimes I just want a burger and chips. Vegan burgers aren’t like the real thing but they are still nice.
Why would someone who changes their diet be “recovering” rather than “former?” Eating a vegetarian diet isn’t an addiction.
Also, if people like eating meat replacements, isn’t that their business? Some people just like familiar shapes and sizes. They’re not hurting anybody, just making a transition.
Finally, as has been pointed out several times, some people have a medical allergy to meat. They have a legitimate medical concern that needs to be respected.
recovering vegetarian is what my husband calls me, a little joke, I’m well aware of what constitutes addiction.
Fair enough, I’m not saying no one should eat meat replacements, just that I personally don’t see the point. Apologies.
Finally, I agree with the suit, you should expect your food to be cooked separately whether allergic or vegan. You have the right to have your food free of any meat. As I said “If you made a choice not to eat meat then you shouldn’t be expected to eat ANY meat” and it’s the same for those who want it cooked separately.
It’s a cute joke, now that you’ve explained so nicely.
Fast food could be fast when it could be an assembly line, “you can have any color car you want as long as it’s basic black” (Henry Ford) and everyone was assumed to eat the same stuff the same way. That era is fast drawing to close, we entered an era of individualized products some time back, and it must be causing conniptions in the parts of the food-service industry built around the assembly line model.
On the other hand, it takes a lot longer to decide about pretty much everything at the restaurants that do offer options and specify ingredients — and even in some of them, I’ve found they make mistakes (for example, Freshii’s almost served celiac me something with gluten in the sauce; the owner grabbed it away, replaced it, and gave me a coupon for a free meal next time– can’t remember if he comped it at the time, he might have).
My family is vegetarian, but we love a lot of of the meat substitutes. They’re a great thing to prepare when we have company, so our carnivore friends can have some flavors and textures they’re familiar with and like, and everyone can eat the same food.
My young daughters decided they wanted to stop eating meat after a meltdown over dinner one night. “I don’t want to hurt animals, but (sob) I love chicken nuggets!” So they stopped eating meat and I buy them veggie chicken nuggets occasionally and they’re happy. Trader Joe’s meatless mandarin chicken morsels and soy chorizo are go-to products for us, too. Even vegetarians want quick, convenient stuff sometimes.
I worked at a Burger King in 2006-7 and they offered a veggie burger. It was microwaved in a special, green plastic box that had its own little green tongs. Not a lot of people ordered the veggie burger, so they didn’t need a way to make tons of them quickly. I don’t know why they’re not doing the same thing with the impossible whopper. Are they making and selling so many that they need to be constantly “grilling” them.
Also, their “grills” are disgusting. They’re these conveyer belt things where you stick the patties in one side and they fall out the other into plastic tubs. The whole thing is disassembled at the end of the day and cleaned, but the parts are washed by hand, in a sink full of nasty, greasy dish water that had bits of meat floating around in it, by tired people who are trying not to gag. They’re washed last because they’re so nasty so the water would already be dirty and it would just get filthy when you put the broiler pieces in there. Sometimes, people would just take the parts to this shower stall type area that is used for filling mop buckets, put them on the ground, and run the water over them.
The sandwich was never advertised as vegan. It has cheese and mayo on it. The instagram post with the story is a fan page making an inaccurate claim and not associated with BK.
I’m vegan for many reasons and therefore do not want to have meat in my system, although not for allergy reasons. But the analogy works. Saying the Impossible Whopper if vegan and cooking it in meat fat (albeit just remains of it) is like stating that something is peanut free and then keeping it in a container where peanuts were ground.
I’m on board with the lawsuit.
This makes sense. Also, the ‘remains’ of meat fat are still meat fat, right?
I’m on board too. I mean, come on, it’s frakking Burger King. They boast one of the highest calorie-ridden sammis in the history of fast food. But kudos to them for attempting to morph. I like the idea of a mass market having a vegetarian option, but if you’re going to take that leap, form and follow through are part of the equation.
It is 100% not the same. If you eat a veggie burger cooked in meat fat you may end up with an upset stomach at most. If someone with deadly peanut allergies eats something contaminated with peanuts they could die. Look I understand wanting to be a vegetarian and not consume meat but there is a HUGE difference between a personal choice and a deadly allergy.
This!!! Honestly, if you eat something that was cooked on a grill where meat was cooked, you won’t get an upset stomach from the cross-contamination if you don’t have any allergies to meat products (aka if you’re vegan for ethical reasons). You might if the food was really cooked in animal fat (like roasted veggies cooked in duck fat) and you haven’t had meat for a very long time, but just touching something that has likely been carbonated (and thus totally denaturated) shouldn’t get you sick. Comparing food allergies to diet choices is actually harmful to those with allergies, they’re needs are taken less seriously.
I liked Brittney’s answer, it’s similar to the reasoning of many of my vegan friends: they’re vegan by choice, for environmental and ethical reasons, having access to more plant-based options is great, but you can’t and shouldn’t expect that you’ll never get in contact with animal products, especially in a burger joint!
I’m also on board with this lawsuit. I’m Muslim and try to stick to halal only so this veggie burger is great for me, but I’d be angry if it were cooked with the meat ones. I’m not an extremist at all but if you’re marketing something as an alternative to meat why cook it in the same grill as the meat products?
What if has tasted this good bc it has beef residue on it all along? Ha! That’d be something. Anyways I have celiac disease so this is my life every day everywhere I go. I do think BK should have disclosed cooked on the same grill. But even with a disability restaurants are required to make a reasonable accommodation but if they truly cannot accommodate – it’s not on them, I just have to live with it. I’m not difficult about it, they have a business to run, I have to keep myself healthy, can’t control the entire universe. Never worked at BK but hard to say if a dedicated grill really possible. Far more likely that they could offer to clean it in advance.
That’s a really good point. I thought the Impossible Whopper tasted remarkably like a real burger but maybe that was residue from the grill I was tasting. Yikes. Although I did have one at another, non fast food place and it tasted very much the same. But chances are they didn’t cook it separately either. Hmm.
They disclosed it being cooked on the same grill with the option of having it microwaved at the BKs I’ve been to since the introduction. Are they not doing this everywhere? Maybe the signs should be bigger?
Correct me if I am wrong, but many times French fries are fried in vats of oil that they also use to fry meats. My Hindu friend always asked if the French fries were fried alone before buying them.
I think they should have a disclaimer on the menu like they do with Gluten-free products and say there can be some cross-contamination.
This disclaimer is on their website, but it should be front and center at their restaurants and probably the clerk should mention it.
https://twitter.com/boonapi/status/1196786170556010498?s=21
Yes, they should.
In my experience, places that have dedicated friers are open about it because they are proud of their capacity to serve more customers.
Might depend on the place but I used to work at McDonalds, we had separate fryers for everything – you can’t fry fish fillet with anything else for example because the oil will taste like fish. We separated fries, chicken and fish for sure, also because the oil for the fries needs changing more often if you fry other things in it. We used vegetable oil as well.
1. Since their advertising says 0% meat, it’s misleading
2. The grill issue seems like a huge oversight by BK – no one in product development was a vegan who raised a flag? Or did they think they could get away with it?
3. As a vegetarian & vegan for 30 years (yes, old) I wouldn’t take my chances in any fast food restaurants. I prefer to eat at home and/or frequent restaurants that take v & v issues seriously. Not victim blaming, just sharing how I self-protect.
They might have seen it as another fad or trend, not an underlying change to the entire model.
A friend of mine worked for Burger King corporate, and based on his comments, I can’t help but wonder if some of this has to do with them potentially underestimating the demand for this product. He said that they test marketed the Impossible Whopper in four markets first, and expected each store to sell maybe a couple dozen a day. They ended up selling hundreds, even in the test store in the very beef-friendly Midwest. National roll out was delayed because the initial manufacturing process was not prepared to accommodate the volume they were suddenly anticipating. Maybe when they first conceived this product no one thought getting a separate grill for a few patties a day was worth it, but they’ll reconsider now that they see the huge demand for it.
Also, the overwhelming majority of people buying the Impossible Whopper are not actually vegetarian or vegan, but people who are simply trying to incorporate more plant based meals in their diet, so they’re not going to be terribly fussed about some meat juices ending up in their sandwich. I’m sure that likely weighed heavily in that decision, too. Having said that, they should not be advertising a product as vegan if it’s contaminated with meat products. End of story. I’ve been a vegetarian for decades, but have not eaten the Impossible Whopper because my friend had told me months ago that it was cooked on the same grill.
I was raised vegan and though I’m not now I’m thoughtful about my animal consumption. Growing up we would go to Burger King occasionally and order whoppers without the patties and stuff the sandwich with fries in place of meat. I would love to try the impossible burger but alas I can no longer eat gluten. Thankfully In n Out has a protein style burger. Whoever comes out with gluten free buns is going to make a killing.
if you’re vegan don’t go to burger joint. it really is as simple as that.
allergies and veganism are different. if you have an allergy – you have the right to be up front and expect the establishment to either adhere to your concerns or be honest that they can’t guarantee there is not contamination (like five guys does – peanut shells everywhere – signs everywhere). but if you choose to eat vegan – it is your responsibility to seek out truly vegan food. i mean – imagine going into BURGER KING and being mad your impossible burger is cooked next to meat. come on.
This is a bad take. They advertised it as 0% meat and all vegan but the onus is on the consumer?
yes. veganism is a choice – not a mandate. if you choose to eat a certain way – it is your responsibility to seek it out to your personal standards, not make the rest of the world adhere to it for you.
the burger is 0% meat and all vegan. i do think it is a problem to not disclose it is cooked on the same grill as meat products but also why would you walk into a restaurant with the name burger in their title and expect there be zero contamination? like – is it even possible without every location being outfitted with special grills? i doubt it.
I appreciate you responding thoughtfully and I’m sorry for singling you out. I try not to do that with commenters but obviously this issue is personal to me. It’s not 0% meat and all vegan if it’s picking up bits of meat from the grill though. We agree that they need to change that and disclose it to the consumer.
They don’t advertise it as vegan though, they advertise it as plant-based, meatless. They even point out that the regular version has mayonnaise in it, so it’s definitely not vegan in essence! You can ask to have it without mayo, but you can also ask to have it with cheese 🙂 The target population are omnivores who want to eat less meat, not vegans
It is a choice to advertise 0% meat. Therefore it was a choice to not be truthful. Therefore it is normal for the vegans to get pissy because something was offered to them untruthfully.
No one forced Burger King to advertise a vegan product that is not vegan.
Your comment is very dismissive and I will never understand why people are not accommodating with other people’s choices.
Is it advertised as meatless or vegan? That’s just not the same thing and unless something is labeled vegan, people really can’t complain unless it actually contains meat. Their website says 0% beef and “For guests looking for a meat-free option, a non-broiler method of preparation is available upon request.”
So what are we talking about?
I don’t eat meat btw and like to avoid certain other animals products. You have to really always look for the fine print.
I assumed it was cooked on the same grill. I am not vegan, but mostly vegetarian. I tried to get the OG veggie burger at Burger King Sunday and was told they didn’t have it, just the impossible Whopper. I loathe the impossible burger. I’ve tried it twice and ended up taking the Patty off and eating the bread, so what’s the point? It tastes like the wipe someone cleaned the grill with. The garden burger, however, has been my fast food go to for as long as they have had it. If they are taking it off the menu I am super bummed.
Yeah, I’m not a big fan of the impossible burger either and will miss the veggie burger if they take it off the menu altogether.
They’ll heat the patty in the microwave, if requested.
I don’t have an allergy, but the thought of eating meat so disgusts me, that I vomit if I find out I accidently have. It happens far more than you would think. It is a problem if you are a vegetarian or vegan who just is sickened by even the idea of eating flesh. You don’t have to be vegan to feel this way either.
I think this is one of those things that if it doesn’t affect you personally, you’re more apt to not see the problem since there is the choice factor, even though choice is relative and increases with privilege.
A vegan burger should be vegan. I agree with that 100%.
Burger King literally has a disclaimer letting people know this. Vegans can be so annoying at times. And I say this as a former vegetarian and someone with multiple vegan friends. I let them know when they are being obnoxious. And one if my friends who is vegan HATES being lumped in with the vegan community because she think it’s elitist and classist. Which it is.
Ding ding ding! We have the comment about the ‘annoying vegans’.
To which I reply that people who say vegans are annoying are so annoying. And always ready.
You do realize your reply doesn’t negate what I said right?? Burger King has LITERAL signs and disclaimers stating that the vegan burgers are cooked on the same grill as the meat ones. If you are vegan and eat at BURGER KING it’s your responsibility to make the decision if you are okay with that. This lawsuit is dumb and frivolous. And only adds to the “vegans are annoying” narrative btw.
Generalizations are annoying – not to go further in the argument.
Singling out a whole community because of a few people on Twitter or anywhere else is always a no-no in my book but you do you.
@Snowslow you still want to ignore the point of my comment and the glaring fact that BK has public disclaimers regarding the fact that the burgers are all cooked on the same grill. But you do you.
Would you engage in a conversation with someone saying that people who use alliterations in in their handles are annoying AF? I don’t think so.
The more vegans put the good word out there the better. Meat is unsustainable and there are people with allergies. So if you advertise a meat-free, plant-based meal and then cook it on a meat grill with stupid disclaimer once the person is in the shop, it’s just disingenuous. But yes, let’s pretend it’s not. Let’s pile on some stupid people who happen to be vegans and then decide they are all annoying. Maybe we should all be angels and have arguments that please you not to be criticised as a whole group🤔…
I would rather have people who are defending the planet and a healthier non-consumerist life doing their thing – and maybe making some mistakes – than vilifying them on the internet. It just sounds prejudiced. And a cliché, that everyone repeats, you included.
There would be certain arguments against this lawsuit, not preferably going against a junk-food shop, choosing more sustainable prone places, that would perhaps change their ways more easily etc… But you chose to write that vegans are annoying.
Was it actually advertised as “vegan”? I only see it advertised as “0% meat”.
Either way, since they are courting vegans/vegetarians, they should make it clear, or instruct their staff to ask anyone ordering it if they prefer the burger grill or the microwave.
I’m really glad they’re doing it though, I’m not a vegetarian myself but am always trying to reduce or go as sustainable as possible with my purchasing, and stuff like this can have a real impact.
No, the ad says 0% beef, not vegan.
It’s not, it’s advertised as meatless, which it is (unless you ask for extra bacon in it). There’s mayo in the sandwich unless you ask to have yours without mayo so it’s definitely not vegan in it’s original form. And you can add cheese too. Their target audience are people just like you who aren’t vegetarians but want to reduce their meat consumption, not vegans.
OK thanks, I didn’t think so.
In that case, I think the guy is going to have a hard time in court because all they have to say is “we never said it was vegan”, but I’m guessing the lawsuit is to just bring attention to it.
I am quite the elitist, with my drive-thru Burger King meatless burgers. And then expecting them to be meatless.
Can I BE any more annoying?
There are vegans who literally want the government to put a stop to poor people using food stamps to buy meat and animal products. I got into an argument on Twitter with a whole group of vegans who didnt want to have an honest discussion about food deserts and what is available for the people in low income and underserved communities. Communities that are predominantly POC. I dont have any issue with veganism. I think we should all do what we think it’s best when it comes to our morals and values around food and what we eat. But there is a HUGE blindspot within the vegan community when it comes to the issues mentioned above and it’s what leads to a feeling of elitism within it. And this something that my friend – who is a vegan black woman and grew up lower income – has talked about with me numerous times. How she doesnt feel connected in anyway to the vegan culture and community.
Perfect defeats good.
Rather than be happy more people are being introduced to an alternative to beef, this lawsuit could get the item pulled altogether or not kept in stores where the franchisee can’t afford a separate grill.
Yep. Business is business at the end of the day. If it becomes too difficult and costly, they’ll do away with it. Too bad for those of us really enjoying the impossible whopper.
I hope the solution is just to make customers aware, and to ask customers how they want it prepared. Doing away with it all together would be a shame.
I am a vegetarian that avoids meat substitute products, I can see how some people like them but they are not for me. It is a shame they took away the garden burger, just like it is a shame Maccas in the US don’t offer the vegetarian fries and garden burger like in the UK 🙁 I know it is my choice so I go elsewhere, but they should make it more prominent that you need to ask for it microwaved to actually be vegan/vegetarian.
Just a tip:
If you ever have to heat up something like bread, tortilla shells or meat in a microwave, cover it with a damp paper towel while its in the microwave.
This makes me wonder how many restaurants now serving the impossible burger have a separate vegan grill. I know a vegetarian but she is not as hard core and she does eat some fish so while she is okay not asking where her veggie burger is being cooked, I can see why others would care. Especially those with allergies. I keep telling my mom, who is allergic to shellfish, to tell them of her allergies b/c you can’t trust people to know how to prepare food sadly. They’re supposed to not cross contaminate certain foods but you just never know.
I have been vegetarian for 25 years, so these meatless options are a fabulous development.
I tried our local BK’s impossible burger and didn’t like it: overcooked.
I have a preference for the Beyond Burger at Carl’s Jr instead. Their fries are better too. Don’t know if they take precautions to avoid meat contamination though.
I am a farmer. Probably quite rare on this site. I have crops plus I raise beef. I really dont care what anyone eats. Its a personal choice but has anyone looked into the ingredients that are in these meat free burgers. I have and its interesting. Worth while to have a look. They may be meat free but they are not all free of other ingredients I personally might not want to consume. But its a personal choice.
Meatless substitutes are not something you should eat every day. They are high in sodium and very processed. I’m a vegetarian by the way but try to limit eating “meat substitutes”. Mind you, eating beef every day is also not good for you for many reasons. I know the dairy and beef industries are worried with so many doing the dairy free and meatless lifestyle but hey it’s a personal choice. I mean most of us don’t eat organic because it’s expensive and/or not readily available where we live. We know those pesticides are bad for us too. Is anything good for us out there? Doesn’t seem like it.
I had two impossible burgers at two different restaurants this weekend while I was out of town visiting my vegan daughter. I haven’t eaten beef in 30 years. Both burgers were amazing. The taste of beef came rushing back to me. My daughter never expects food to be 100% vegan in a restaurant (ie cooked separately). However there are some restaurants that do ask if she’s vegan when they hear her order altering her order to include no eggs, no cheese etc. and perhaps they are changing cooking utensils to accommodate. She eats vegan for ethical reasons and not allergy reasons so doesn’t ask them to do so.
In a commercial kitchen it’s not as easy to “just add another griddle/charbroiler” as one would think. Real estate under a commercial hood is expensive and a premium and adding anything new usually required not just finding the hood space, but health code inspection and the addition of more fire suppression – $$$$$. I can see why they just wanted to roll the patty out first as a trial to see if it had legs, so to speak.
Or how about just eating real food, and not eating processed junk food? The impossible burger may be vegan, but it is processed crap and not healthy.
They never advertised this a vegan though. They said it’s meatless. It literally comes with mayo and you can add cheese on it if you want. If you are vegan, you can request that it be cooked separately and not have any animal products on it (which they have a disclaimer about). This is silly. I’m a pescatarian btw and have had this burger a few times now. As someone who used to eat beef and have tried many meat substitutes, this burger is really good.
Burger King has had a veggie burger on their menu for years. It was a garden burger in the U.S. and some soy patty in Canada. No one complained about the fact those veggie burgers were made on the same grill. So why now are people complaining about the Impossible Whopper being made on the same grill? Did those vegans never eat a veggie burger at BK before? BK has never stated they have vegan burgers on their menu…because they DON’T. They are veggie burgers (some veggie burgers even have eggs). You can ask at the counter before you order what’s in them and how they are prepared.
I would get that all time and I’m 100% certain they put the Garden Burger in the microwave, no way was that ever on the grill as it certainty didn’t taste “grilled”.
Oh I’m in Canada. We have a soy patty instead of the garden burger here and it is definitely put on the grill as it has grill marks on it. It’s called the “BK Veggie” and you can even get it in a kid’s meal.
I’m a vegetarian (well, more like pescatarian) and I know that not all places are going to 100% perfect when it comes to cross-contamination or if something is cooked using a animal by-product since I don’t have a full break down on the menu.
But I was too was unaware that you could ask for the Impossible Whopper to be microwaved. I’ve had the Impossible Whopper twice and on the second time it did taste more “beefy” than the first time so this would explain it. Next time, I’ll ask.
I’m a carnivore.
I admit it, however, I have cut back on meat quite a bit and there are things I refuse to eat such as veal. That ain’t right. I don’t eat bear, alligator, shark…nothing that might have eaten a person.
Anyway, I tried that fake Whopper and it doesn’t taste like meat.
In fact, I only tasted the bread, mustard, ketchup, onions and so on and, yeah, they cook it on the same grill and use the same spatulas as they use on meat.
My husband is such a butt.
He claims to have given up meat about 3 years ago but he’ll eat a bucket of my French Onion soup in a day and it’s mostly beef stock and he asks for fried eggs knowing I cook them in mostly bacon fat.
Baby steps I guess but let’s not get all high-and- mighty about it and that fake plant meat he brings home for me to cook…stinks.
It does. It really stinks and I open all the windows before I start cooking it.
He did the pescatarian thing for awhile and his cholesterol level went higher. I think it’s scallops that are high in cholesterol along with some other seafood.
I don’t care. I’ve cut back on meat but if God didn’t want me to eat meat, He wouldn’t have put me at the top of the food chain.
In the UK, McDonald’s uses separate grill plates for pork and beef products, which is part of the reason why breakfast (pork) meats and burgers are not available at the same times of day. Don’t know if they do the same in the US. Obviously, this is a big deal for people with strict religious dietary strictures about pork or beef, both of which are more common in the UK than in the US. But it is certainly possible for fast food restaurants to manage the logistics if there is public demand.