London - Burger King has become the latest fast food giant to launch a plant-based burger – but vegetarians and vegans will not be able to eat it.
The new "Rebel Whopper" consists of a burger patty made of soy, sandwiched in a seeded bun, complete with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, mayonnaise and ketchup.
But the chain admits that the patty is cooked on the same grill as beefburgers, which may leave vegetarians and vegans going hungry instead.
And the "creamy" mayo wouldn’t suit vegans – who also rule out egg and dairy products.
Burger King said the Rebel Whopper is deliberately targeted at flexitarians – those trying to cut down on the amount of meat they eat.
The new offering is an adaptation of firm favourite the Whopper, which does contain beef.
While Burger King called the Rebel Whopper a "game-changer" and said it wanted to "replicate the indulgence and flame-grilled taste of the real thing as closely as possible", some were quick to voice their reservations online.
The launch comes as hundreds of thousands of people globally are a week into their vegan diet this month – otherwise known as Veganuary.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/RebelWhopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RebelWhopperwhen it's cooked on the same grill as beef, meaning it's not suitable for vegetarians? @BurgerKingUK are a complete bunch of morons. 🤦🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/ZvKLx46loO
— Rip (@Rip79)
Toni Vernelli, international head of communications and marketing for the drive, said: "For all of the important issues that Veganuary – and most vegans – are trying to address through their food choices, it makes absolutely no difference whether the plant-based patty is cooked separately or in the same grill as the meat."
The Rebel Whopper is currently only available in the UK. No word yet if it will be added to other global menus.
Daily Mail
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