On April 1st, Burger King announced that their classic burger, the Whopper, would soon be sold with a vegetarian option. This “Impossible Burger” from Impossible Foods has a plant-based patty that is supposed to look and taste like actual meat, so Burger King claims it will taste very similar to the original Whopper. The President of Burger King North America, Chris Finazzo, says that he wants to “give somebody who wants to eat a burger every day, but doesn’t necessarily want to eat beef everyday, permission to come into the restaurants more frequently,” He is also inviting vegans and vegetarians to visit Burger Kings and see the meat-less choices they have to offer. Additionally, compared to the original Whopper, the Impossible Burger has less calories and lower in cholesterol.
The company that allows these fast food chains to sell meatless options is called Impossible. They dedicate their time in producing meat alternatives made from plants.
Matt Edge for the New York Times
Many fast food restaurants have been adding “impossible” items to their menus, like Taco Bell and White Castle. There are also other companies that produce vegetable-based meat substitutes, like the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat (available at chains like TGI Friday’s and Carl’s Jr. and supermarkets like Safeway and Food Lion). Hopefully, this will encourage people to cut back on their meat intake, as about 85 million Americans eat fast food on any given day. Red meat causes big issues concerning the treatment of animals, the overall health of people, and the environment. (For more information about the ethicality of buying red meat, click here.)
It’s not just the reduced suffering of cows that should be taken into consideration when cutting back on beef—the production of beef also has a huge impact on the environment. The processing and distribution of meat requires enormous amounts of pesticides, fuel, feed, fertilizer, and water. According to EWG, growing livestock feed in the U.S. alone requires 167 million pounds of pesticides and 17 billion pounds of nitrogen fertilizer each year across some 149 million acres of cropland. The amount of resources needed to allow you to eat a Big Mac is insurmountable. Additionally, greenhouse gases are emitted during the entire process of meat production, which is detrimental to the environment. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, drastically play into global warming and climate change. The factories that are used to process the meat generate large amounts of nitrous oxide, and cows release a lot of methane. These two greenhouses gases are among the worst that impact the health of our planet.
Therefore, for the health of ourselves and the other animals of earth, it is important for people to consume less red meat. Fortunately, fast food chains have been taking their first several steps in offering vegetarian options that resemble beef. You do not have to completely cut meat out of your diet, but allowing yourself to regulate and reduce the amount of beef you are eating will create an impact. The Impossible Burger is only sold in Louisiana at the moment, but if that does well then Burger Kings across the United States will likely start selling them on their menus too. So, the next time you’re at Burger King, give the Impossible Burger a try, maybe it will taste even better than actual meat!