Vegan Man Sues Burger King Because Their Meatless Burger Is Cooked On Meat Grill

The plaintiff, Phillip Williams, is a vegan who doesn't eat meat or animal products of any kind. He has a beef with Burger King over the way they prepare their "Impossible" Whopper sandwich.

This is just the way BK is advertising the plant-based, meatless version of their classic Whopper. Burger King uses the tagline, "100 percent Whopper, 0 percent beef" when marketing the sandwich.

He says he ordered the burger at an Atlanta-area Burger King drive-thru, and was displeased to find it "coated in meat by-products". No details were given on how exactly he knew that the sandwich contained meat.

The proposed lawsuit seeks damages for anyone in the United States who's purchased an Impossible Whopper. BK launched the meatless burger back in August, meaning there could be large number of claimants.

The lawsuit hinges on false advertising, claiming that Burger King promotes their sandwich as containing zero meat even though it's cooked on the same grills as their regular beef burgers.

Although BK bills the Impossible Whopper as containing zero meat, it's likely to pick up trace amounts when prepared on the same grill as normal burgers. It's worth noting that BK can also prepare the burger using a different, non-meaty method.

The Impossible Whopper is made by Impossible Foods. A company spokesperson said that their products are intended for meat-eaters who want to eat less meat, not for strict vegans or vegetarians.

The lawsuit claims that the drive-thru Williams purchased the Whopper at didn't have any signage to indicate that their meatless burgers would be prepared on a grill that also handled meat.

Yes. The claimant "suffered monetary damages in the amount that he paid to purchase," according to the suit. That means that Williams is out of pocket to the tune of five bucks or so.

Since they're currently being sued, they're not offering comment on the litigation. The suit also claims that other Burger King customers have complained about the way the Impossible Whopper is prepared.

Do you think the suit is valid, or is it silly to expect strict vegan preparation of your meal at a fast food place? Let us know in the comments, and check out the class-action lawsuit here.