Rant #2,469: You Are What You Eat

Burger King's Impossible Whopper has been an incredible success.

The plant-based burger, which tastes more like a Whopper and a real hamburger than other such options in the marketplace, has forced the fast-food giants to reconsider not adding such fare to their menus, and everyone from McDonald's to Wendy's is scrambling to find their own non-meat success story.

Now, somebody who ate one of these non-meat Whoppers is suing Burger King and its parent company, stating that since the Impossible Whopper is cooked on the same grill as its real meat counterparts, it is tainted with meat, and thus, it is not truly vegan as it claims to be.

In a proposed class action, a patron bought an Impossible Whopper at an Atlanta drive-through, and paid a premium price for his meal--which he said he would not have done if he knew that his burger would be "coated by meat-by products."

From the beginning, Burger King has stated publicly that this is how the Impossible Burger would be cooked, right next to real meat products, so personally, I don't see where the patron really has a case.

However, I think where Burger King has erred is that it has not publicly told patrons that if they want their Impossible Burger truly vegan, it can be microwaved away from the real meat products. It can be done by request, and I don't think Burger King has made this plain to the public.

Look, you don't go to Burger King for a healthy meal to begin with, but the Impossible Burger has expanded its menu, and made the option attractive to those who are trying to stay away from red meat or who are truly vegan.

But should Burger King change its entire kitchen and way of doing things to produce a truly, 100-percent vegan dish? That would cost millions of dollars to do throughout the chain, and again, they do offer the microwave option, although some serious vegans would also question that process, because I am sure that real meat products are zapped too.

And even in its advertising, Burger King lists the Impossible Whopper as "a meat-free option," not as a truly vegan option, so it is not false advertising to say the burger is "meat-free," because it is just that. Burger King never claimed it was "vegan-friendly."

Yes, splitting hairs, but there is a difference, in particular to strict vegans and vegetarians.

In fact, Impossible Foods, the company that designed this burger specifically for Burger King, claims that the burger "was designed for meat eaters who want to consume less animal protein," and not for vegans or vegetarians.

So once again, personally, I don't think the case has any merit whatsoever, but where I do find fault with Burger King is that they have not promoted that the burger can be cooked off the grill if requested. That should be made plain to all restaurant patrons, and honestly, I did not know about this option until recently.

But whatever the case, the Impossible Whopper is an unqualified success, perfect for a person like me, who continues to consume red meat but who is trying to cut down on doing so. It wasn't designed for strictly vegan people, so there really shouldn't be such a fuss, but in this world, where people look to get upset at everything, you just knew that somewhere down the line, somebody would get upset at this unique option for a fast food restaurant to offer.

Maybe one day, a fast food place will come up with a truly 100 percent vegan meal for their patrons, but as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Give it time, and as people continue to reject or at least cut down on their red meat consumption, restaurants will respond.

And now that "the word" is out that Burger King's Impossible Whopper is not 100 percent vegan-friendly as some thought it was--but it was never advertised as--the other fast foods will do it one better, and strive to design a meal that will 100 percent please vegans, vegetarians and others who really want to stay away red meat in any way, shape or form.

The challenge to do that is now officially on.