The Plant-Based Revolution” – as the company calls its new project – it wants to revolutionize the fast food industry. All beef burgers at Burger King in Germany are now available plant-based on request.
Every burger should be offered in the plant-based variant
Around 25 years ago, Burger King developed its first plant-based burger, the Veggie King. In 2019, the fast food company introduced the plant-based Whopper and in 2020 the first plant-based nuggets in German system gastronomy. The world’s first plant-based Burger King restaurant followed in Cologne in 2021. Now the company wants to go one step further.
The company not only provides fast food lovers with a plant-based variant. From now on, Burger King guests throughout Germany can choose whether they prefer to order their burger with a flame-grilled plant-based or beef patty. The fast-food giant guarantees: “No compromises in taste: 0% meat. 100% taste.” Together with The Vegetarian Butcher, Burger King has developed plant-based patties that not only look like meat, but also taste like it.
What is the difference between plant-based and vegan?
Plant-based, vegan – it’s all the same, isn’t it? Not quite. Because although the two terms are often used synonymously, there is still a crucial difference. Vegans not only do without animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, milk or honey in their diet, they also do not wear fur, leather, wool or silk clothing, nor do they use cosmetics that contain snail secretion, for example . So they live vegan because it is their way of life. They don’t want animals to be killed or the environment to suffer because of what they eat.
Plant-based means “plant-based”, but does not necessarily mean that all advocates of this form of nutrition are also in the front row in PETA protests. Plant-based food is primarily about plant-based and, above all, unprocessed food, where the focus is on the health aspect, not environmental protection or animal welfare. In some restaurants, ‘plant-based’ is often taken for what it is: a ‘base’. This also means that additives such as cheese or meat are not automatically excluded, but are often combined with plant-based products.
Plant-based also means healthy
Plant-based nutrition is also about clean eating. Processed foods should generally be avoided. Another difference to the vegan diet: Although this excludes all animal products, it often allows highly processed substitute products or vegan gummy bears and chocolate. Vegetables, salads, wholemeal products or hummus are therefore on the menu of plant-based eaters, no fries or white bread.
For example, the Hamburg consumer advice center tested the content of 20 vegan finished products and found something frightening. In addition to too much fat and salt, there were also larger amounts of additives and flavorings, especially in the vegan alternatives to meat, sausage and cheese. Vegan substitute products therefore do not necessarily offer a healthier alternative. Consumers must therefore take a close look and evaluate each product based on the list of ingredients.
Is “plant-based” the more popular advertising term because “vegan” puts people off?
In fact, companies avoid the term vegan because it’s often associated with activism; Plant-based, on the other hand, simply means plant-based and stands for a healthy lifestyle. A survey was conducted in the USA on this subject. This supports what many suspect: the term “plant-based” is received more positively by people than the term “vegan”.
For example, products labeled “plant-based” received better ratings than products bearing a vegan label. In addition, animal-free menus were more likely to be chosen in restaurants if they were advertised as “plant-based” rather than “vegan”.
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