Impossibly vegan: Burger King's plant-based burger is cooked with meat

If you're a non-meat eater and Burger King's plant-based Impossible Whopper tickles your taste buds, there's bad news for you. Photo / Getty

If you're a non-meat eater and Burger King's plant-based Impossible Whopper tickles your taste buds, there's bad news for you.

Earlier this week Burger King restaurants across the US launched its Impossible Whopper in a bid to attract vegetarians, vegans and non-meat eaters.

The burger, which isn't technically labelled "vegetarian', was advertised as "0% beef" and "made from plants".

However, the fast-food joint has been called out after its website states the Impossible Whopper is flame-grilled on the same broiler used for beef and chicken, meaning it will almost certainly come into contact with meat.

One former employee said that the restaurant production line means that "veggie burgers get soaked in meat juices".

As a former employee I hope u use the veggie track on the broiler because at times @BurgerKing we used any slot which made veggie burgers get soaked with meat juices. I'm just saying smh
"Burger King launches the vegetarian Impossible Whopper" https://t.co/EprrzwROVn

— CORN|OBS EdFig81🥃 (@EdFig81) April 3, 2019

Following the launch, vegetarians around the US have been left furious, with some labelling the product as a "misleading, big fail".

Misleading, big fail from @BurgerKing for the new Impossible Whopper. ", 0% Beef. *Flame-grilled in the same broiler used for beef and chicken"
...So not 0% beef then. Won't touch this crap until you change this policy. @VegTimes @vegsoc @vegan @TheVeganSociety @VLmagazine

— Mícheál Ewer 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇮🇪 (@mikeewer) August 1, 2019

Another wrote: "Hey @BurgerKing are you really cooking your Impossible burgers on the same broiler as the meat? I was so excited for this but as a vegetarian I guess I'm forced to not buy Impossible from you [sic]."

The patty's main ingredients are soy and potato proteins.

Some beef with your plant-based burger? Photo / Getty

According to the Independent, the fast food giant faced similar criticism recently after customers found out the vegetarian halloumi burger is also cooked along with the flesh of chicken and fish.

Despite the backlash, the company said that it does state that the halloumi is cooked in the same fryer as chicken and fish in its fine print on the product's descriptions on its website.

The Impossible Whopper is not currently available in New Zealand.