Burger King stupidity over its meat-free whopper

[Lycidas]

Why go to the effort of creating a meat-free burger only to cook it on the same grill as the others? Why limit your market to ‘people who are choosing a meatless option but don’t mind if it’s covered in meat juices?’ Seems incredibly shortsighted to me to overlook a large segment of the vegetarian/vegan markets.

www.burgerking.co.uk/menu-item/rebel-whopper

I’m a vegetarian and no I wouldn’t buy this.

I'm clearly a shit vegan because I have no problem eating things that have been cooked on the same cooking appliances as animal products. Most vegans are also happy to eat Oreos even though they are made on a production line which also handles milk and thus may have come into contact with milk. I don't view this as being any different .

Then again I also frequently eat at Nando's (who FYI also cook their chicken and veggie patties on the same grill) so according to some people I'm actually not a vegan at all because I give my money to restaurants that also serve meat...

Even PETA say that vegans shouldn't refuse to eat food just because it may have touched animal products and they're pretty strict. It's all about reducing demand for animal products.

Where does PETA say that? I'm trying to find a place where they say that "egans shouldn't refuse to eat food just because it may have touched animal products "

@lljkk

“And we urge vegans not to insist that their food be cooked on equipment separate from that used to cook meat; doing so doesn’t help any additional animals, and it only makes restaurants less inclined to offer vegan choices (which, again, hurts animals).”

www.peta.org/living/food/making-transition-vegetarian/ideas-vegetarian-living/tiny-amount-animal-products-food/

thanks

I haven't read the whole thread (sorry) but when I worked in bk the bean burgers were cooked in a separate fryer from the meat, there was also a divider attached to the roof of the broiler to keep beef and chicken separate. Surely they could just add another divider for a veggie area. When it was really busy we struggled to get enough beef burgers through so maybe there's not enough space. I'm now veggie and obviously wouldn't eat a veggie burger cooked on meat fat.

I also home rescue chickens but I somehow manage to control myself from eating their periods because a) it's disgusting and b) their menstrual cycle isn't mine to exploit.

It’s this sort of very odd Twitter/YouTube vegan language that puts people off veganism to be honest.

Chickens eggs are one of the most Healthy and nutritious things you can eat, far better then any vegetable. my rescue chickens happily run around my garden all day eating lots of bugs and the odd mouse and lay the the eggs where they fancy, then they run off without a moments thought to the egg they have just layed. Chickens don’t give a toss about their eggs so I’m happy to collect and eat them.

I somehow manage to control myself from eating their periods because a) it's disgusting and b) their menstrual cycle isn't mine to exploit.

Chickens don't have menstrual cycles, they aren't mammals, and if you want to be strictly accurate only a handful of mammals do. What ridiculous nonsense.

It is impossible to take people seriously when they spout such rubbish.

@WeeSleekitTimerousMoosey totally agree, the problem with vegans is a lot of their information comes from I’ll informed social media posts or Netflix documentaries that cherry pick studies. Lots of them are townies and don’t really have any connection with nature.

*ill informed!

Honestly a lack of connection with nature is one thing but the idea that there are grown adults with enough education to be able to use the internet who don't know the difference between mammals and birds just boggles my mind.

Yes agreed, the ignorance is very worrying.

@Qasd

Whatever "flexitarians" are they are not vegetarians! A vegetarian presented with the option of meat or "nothing" would choose "nothing"

The definition of a vegetarian was "does not eat flesh fish or fowl"

Does not!

My avowed meat loving chap ate one of these yesterday at motorway services, only becoming aware it was meat free afterwards. He couldn't taste the difference (and he likes his steak blue) so presume it's down to the flame grill. Said he'd buy it again.

@boombastic2019

In your particular example, I agree there isn't anything horrendously wrong with eating the eggs from your chickens. Although a vegan wouldn't for various reasons including the fact that often chickens eat their own eggs as a way of replenishing the nutrients lost producing the egg. So it can be good for them to leave their eggs lying around - I don't think anyone would suggest chickens care about their eggs.

However that isn't the case for 99% of eggs eaten in the UK. In the commercial egg industry male chicks are ground up at a day old, treated as nothing more than waste. Chickens are bred to produce unnaturally high numbers of eggs and killed at a young age when they stop laying.

Also I doubt people are considering turning vegan and the decide they actually don't care about animals because a vegan on a forum used the term 'chicken period'

@Boshmama I know about the male chicks - have done for the past 30 years (which is why I’ve been rescuing chickens), as do most people (I never understand why vegans think they have brand new information to share with people 😂). I stay away from commercial eggs but I don’t have a problem with eating eggs. my vegan friend genuinely thinks that chickens get upset if we eat their eggs, she’s lovely but anthropomorphises animals 😂

I do throw the chickens the odd egg to eat but they would never eat an unbroken egg, they just leave them. I feel I have a symbiotic relationship with my chickens. I feed them fresh blueberries and raspberries that I grow, I make them porridge for breakfast and feed them organic feed. In return they lay me an egg or two. Most ethical vegans have a problem with this which I find weird tbh

Sounds lovely @Boombastic2019 most people who eat eggs aren't in your position though.

Loads of people don't know about the male chicks! Especially those from cities - I didn't know until I was 30. I don't think vegans think we have brand new information to share, just find it shocking that people know what happens and continue to support meat, dairy and egg industries. I find it easier to believe that otherwise caring, kind, empathetic people who choose to abuse animals for the sake of their palate don't know the full details.

@Boshmama most people are aware. We used to debate about this sort of stuff in school. I’m surprised that you got the age of 30 and didn’t question your food choices.

See the problem I have is this evangelical attitude to preach to others, And truly believe that people are evil if they consume animals. regardless of if you call yourself a vegan or not you are an omnivore, humans are omnivores, fact. You could not survive on a vegan diet without the processed, fortified foods and vitamins. Humans are not bad for eating our natural diet, just like other animals are not bad for eating their natural diets.

Where do you buy your clothes?

Hi @Badcat2020 I was vegetarian from age 4 so I did question my food choices. Not sure how you are in a position to speak for most people?

Unless you are eating straight from a cows back your meat is processed. Meat is also fortified, animals are pumped full of vitamins so your meat reaches your plate fortified.

So turns out meat eaters couldn't survive without that either. Just my way causes the least suffering to other animals and I'm thriving on a vegan diet - never been healthier.

I make all my own clothes out of second hand charity shop finds - don't you?

It does seem utterly pointless. Why create a whole burger just to cater to part time vegans ?
Either go the whole hog (excuse the pun) or don’t bother

@Boshmama good for you.

I don’t eat meat myself (haven’t done for 30 years). But I know meat is not all processed that’s complete vegan propaganda! And it’s also not all pumped with vitamins, that’s just not true at all. It’s far too expensive for farmers to add B12 to the feed, they only do that if the cow has been sick.

Be careful not to believe all the vegan propaganda on the internet, remember they have an agenda so with cherry pick half truths to suit their aim.

@Boshmama

I shop second hand but I don’t really believe you to be honest that all your clothes are second hand 😂

Do you preach to others about where their clothes come from? If their clothes have been made by a poor child etc

Do you preach to people about how bad flying and car travel is for the environment?

What about diamonds, do you think badly of people who have a diamond ring that can’t be traced and could be a blood diamond?

What about people who shop at amazon, do you preach to them about how bad amazon workers rights are?

What about avocados - the avocado is one of the most unethical fruits. As the demand for avocados has increased, this has caused deforestation and pesticide use. Local populations have suffered as a consequence of this, from water pollution and respiratory and digestive diseases. do you think people who eat advocados are evil too?

I could go on listing things to be honest. My point is it’s impossible to live a perfect Ethical existence. YOU are not perfect, be careful not to put yourself on a pedestal and for god sake let other people decide what’s right or wrong for them. this evangelical veganism is Both annoying and massively hypocritical.

@Boshmama

Be careful I was vegan for 6 years and it made me so ill. I was eating a variety of foods and taking my vegan vitamins but I still became deficient in B12. It made me very sick. Vitamins are not a good substitute for a proper diet to be honest as they don’t absorb as well as food sources. You can be healthy on a vegan diet for a while but then your stores start to run low. Some people tolerate the diet better than others.

@badcat2020

Oh the old 'because vegans aren't perfect they must be doing something wrong' argument. How original.

I don't ask people those questions and I don't preach to anyone. I was giving my view on this burger 🤣

I also don't think people who eat meat are evil. I don't know where you got that from.

Meat is fortified with vitamins (not saying that's bad!) Bread and cereal are also fortified, do only vegans eat those? Or is that more vegan propaganda??

Do you question meat and dairy propaganda in the same way?

@Badcat2020 thank you for your concern. I'm fine though, I have a one year old so had blood tests in pregnancy and my vitamin levels were perfect. I had enough iron for a home birth and I'm very conscious of my diet. My daughter is vegan too and sees a nutritionist regularly (as she has allergies to dairy, egg and soy, not because she's vegan!) And the nutritionist is always delighted with her diet and general health.