Plant-based fast food options have become all the rage over the past year or so. Considering these “impossible”/”beyond meat” burgers are cooked in close proximity to regular, meaty burgers, it seems almost inevitable that lawsuits would follow.
A vegan is suing Burger King.
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.
What is an Impossible Whopper?
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.
Williams ordered an Impossible Whopper recently.
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.
He’s filed a class-action suit.
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.
What’s the beef?
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.
Can you really eat vegan at Burger King?
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.
What does the manufacturer think?
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.
Does he have a case?
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.
Are there monetary damages?
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.
Burger King hasn’t commented.
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.
What do you think?
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 .
Last Updated on November 20, 2019 by D