Burger King: Class-Action Lawsuit Suggests Vegan Impossible Burgers Are Contaminated by Meat

Burger King has made a massive marketing push with plant-based Impossible Whoppers, pointing out the fact it's one of the fast-food world's first meat-free options. One vegan Burger King customer doesn't see it as such, however, and has since filed suit against the Miami-based chain. Filed Monday, vegan Phillip Williams has filed a lawsuit claiming the Impossible Whoppers are "coated in meat by-products" due to the patties being grilled on the same equipment as Burger King's other meat-based products.

"Plaintiff had been duped by Burger King's deceptive practices into eating a meat-free Whopper Patty that was in fact covered in meat by-products," the lawsuit says. It was filed in a Miami court early Monday.

As such, Williams is seeking damages for anyone who's purchased an Impossible Whopper to date, plus a judgment forcing Burger King to flame-grill the vegan items on a completely separate piece of equipment, dedicated solely to vegan products. Burger King's website currently promotes the item as "100% Whopper, 0% Beef," and says it's the perfect item "for guests looking for a meat-free option." The website also notes a non-broiler cooking method is available upon request.

Impossible Products, the start-up that helped Burger King engineer the product, previously claimed the product was never intended to be a completely vegan product. At one point, an Impossible executive pointed out the fact consumers could get a strictly vegan option upon request. "For people who are strictly vegan, there is a microwave prep procedure that they're welcome to ask for in any store," Impossible Foods' sales exec Dana Worth recently said in an interview.

Have you had one of BK's Impossible Whoppers yet? If so, let us know what you thought of the burger in the comments below!

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