Burger King Sued By Vegan For Impossible Whopper Meat Contamination

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A vegan is suing Burger King with the claim his order was ‘contaminated’ by meat by-products after being cooked on the same grill as the regular burgers. 

The fast food chain rolled out their ‘Impossible Whopper’ across the US earlier this year following a successful trial run and for the most part it’s been well received, with a Burger King spokesperson describing the launch as ‘one of the most successful product launches in brand history’.

Customer Phillip Williams wasn’t so impressed with the product, however, and he’s decided to take legal action against Burger King after purchasing the supposedly vegan-friendly dish in Atlanta, Georgia.

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The plant-based burger is constructed in the same way as the store’s traditional beef-based Whopper, but the beef patty is simply swapped out for the vegetarian alternative.

The burger also contains tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles and sliced white onions on a sesame seed bun, though the mayo can be removed to make the option free of animal ingredients.

Though the components themselves are acceptable for vegans, Williams pointed out the Impossible Whopper is cooked on the same grill as the regular Whopper, meaning the meat residue on the grill could transfer.

The angry customer has filed a class-action lawsuit claiming his burger was contaminated and arguing Burger King has no disclosures on its menu to notify consumers the Impossible Whopper is cooked in a manner which would result in meat by-products on the burger, TMZ report.

Williams is not the only one to complain about the way the Impossible Whopper is cooked as a number of social media users have also pointed out the problem.

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One Twitter user wrote:

I’d really like to try an Impossible Whopper but it is cooked on the same grill as meat…seriously, @BurgerKing

Another tweeted:

I want to try the impossible whopper but I’m scared it’s going to be cooked on the same grill as the dead animal burgers

The complaint is understandable; if people are making the effort to cut out all animal-related products then having a burger soaked in meat juices would undercut their entire lifestyle. As such, it would make sense for Burger King to rectify the issue to ensure they can fully cater to vegan customers.

Williams is seeking damages and wants the judge to order Burger King to stop cooking Impossible Whoppers and original Whoppers on the same grill.

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Emily Brown

Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.