Burger King Just Launched Vegan Whopper And ‘Nobody Can Tell The Difference’

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

No, it’s not an April Fool’s Joke. Burger King announced in a video on 31st March that they will be releasing a meatless Whopper which is dubbed as the Impossible Whopper. It will be launched in about 59 restaurants all over in the St. Louis metropolitan area as per a  press release. With the growing concerns of methane production due to cattle storage for beef, this is a move that was long awaited. And the released video makes it seem like this plan will go great for the famous fast-food chain.

The video features dedicated customers of Burger King chomping on their favorite Whopper and loving it as usual. These customers know their food – they have had it for so long that any difference in tastes would immediately put them off. And that’s why when the surprise came, they were shocked. The burger had zero beef in it. The beef-like patty was actually a plant-based patty developed by Impossible Foods. For the customers, it was unbelievable. The taste was so close to beef. But Burger King claims that the Impossible Whopper is very real and it will be a major player for the future of the company. Fernando Machado, who is the chief marketing officer of Burger King, told The New York Times that the Impossible Burger can make big business and will not just stay as a niche product.

Impossible Foods is the company responsible for producing this patty that tastes just like meat. It uses a genetically modified yeast which produces heme, a protein that is responsible for the flavor of the meat. The company was founded by a former Stanford University professor, who turned Vegan after his college days and understood how methane-production was moving our world forward towards an inevitable major climate change. So far, the company has managed to receive about $396 million from major names like Bill Gates, Google Ventures and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s Horizons Ventures.

White Castle’s slider version of the Impossible Burger was a major hit too and it was distributed to about 280 or more stores of the chain.

How Was It Tested?

St. Louis Missouri was the place where the first tests were conducted. It is a progressive state and was a wise choice for Burger King. On the basis of the success, the company can push this Whopper all over the States, in about 7,200 of its locations. This might be a good way for the company to deliver healthier options to its customers, which will also be environment-friendly. And after the taste test, it has been proven that the product is as good as the original. So, there’s nothing to worry about for Burger King.

Regarding taste, Machado had told the The Times that Burger King is not looking for any compromise in the taste area. And once that is achieved, people will be looking forward to it. That’s a win-win no doubt!

However, there have been critics regarding the Impossible Whopper. Many people are concerned whether it is actually a healthy option since it uses genetically modified yeast and processed soy. Also, it contains high saturated fat and a lot of salt content. Cattle ranchers have also put out their opposition when they discovered that the patties of Impossible Foods are being stored in the same refrigerators as meat in grocery stores. Plus, many animal activists have come forward in opposition to Impossible Food and their testing methods which uses rats.

In general, things might go up if these corporations are a little bit careful about their ingredients and testing methods. In 2018, KFC said that it was developing meatless chicken for its UK customers. McDonald’s also has a soy-based “McVegan” burger in Finland and Sweden, while Pizza Hut also introduced vegan pizzas in the UK. So, at least, some the companies are stepping up to fight global warming.