Get That Meat Off My Burger! Burger King Sued for Cooking Impossible Whopper on the Same Grill as Beef

In the age of the plant-based burger explosion, it was inevitable that a participating chain was going to step on the toes of a vegan or two. It finally happened this week, when Burger King was slapped with a $5 million class-action lawsuit that claims the brand misleads consumers by marketing its Impossible Whoppers as vegan when they are cooked on the same grill as beef burgers. 

Although plant-based protein alternatives are primarily being marketed to meat-eaters as a substitute for beef burgers, many vegetarians and vegans have also welcomed the trend. Still, Burger King reports that 90% of its customers choosing the plant-based alternatives are not vegetarian or vegan, with many hardcore vegans questioning whether the veggie burgers still fall within their meat-free diets if cooked on the same grill as meat. 

In August, a number of media outlets reported that Burger King's Impossible Whoppers are cooked on the same grills as beef burgers, and some of the reports also noted that the Impossible Whopper is served with traditional egg-based mayonnaise, as well. 

The lawsuit claims that Burger King fails to disclose that the burgers are cooked in a way that would result in the contamination of meat byproducts. In the chain’s defense, a footnote on Burger King's online menu informs guests that they can request a non-broiler method of preparation if they wish to avoid having their food touch the same surface as meat, and can have it cooked in the oven. 

White Castle uses a different grill for the plant-based patties and serves and cleans the regular grill before cooking plant-based patties. Dunkin' cooks plant-based Beyond Meat sausage on individual pieces of parchment paper and stores them on individual trays to prevent them from touching animal byproducts. Tim Hortons also cooks and stores its Beyond Meat items separately from its meat. 

Considering so many franchisors have been seeing an increase in sales due to plant-based options, it is no wonder chains are doing whatever they can to appease the crowd. In order to keep up, Burger King may need to consider new cooking practices to stay competitive and avoid any future lawsuits.