Burger King sued, accused of contaminating meatless burgers on grills used for meat

Burger King is being sued by a vegan customer based on allegations that its meatless Impossible Whoppers were contaminated on grills used for meat.

Phillip Williams filed a class-action lawsuit in Miami federal court against the restaurant chain after purchasing the Impossible Whopper, a plant-based alternative to the meat patty, in Georgia. The plaintiff claims he would not have paid a premium price for the burger if he knew it was cooked on the same grill as meat patties.{mosads}

The lawsuit alleges Burger King participated in “deceptive representations” of the burger by not disclosing it is cooked with meat byproducts. Burger King advertises the Impossible Whopper as “100 Whopper, 0 percent beef.”

“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.

Williams calls for compensation for all consumers in the U.S. who bought the product and requests the fast-food chain clearly disclose the two burgers are cooked on the same grill. 

A Burger King spokesperson told The Hill that they do not comment on pending litigation.

Williams’s lawyer did not immediately return a request to comment.

Impossible Foods Inc., which helped develop the Impossible Whopper released in August, said the product is meant for people who want to consume less meat, not vegans or vegetarians.

“For people who are strictly vegan, there is a microwave prep procedure that they’re welcome to ask for in any store,” Dana Worth, the head of sales for Impossible Foods, said in an interview, according to Reuters.