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Burger King is launching a European version of its Impossible Whopper in Europe following sales success in the US – but with a different, as yet unnamed patty.
The US sandwich features the same burger build as the store’s traditional beef-based option, replacing the patty with a plant-based one. It also features tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles, and sliced white onions on sesame seed bun. Mayo can be removed to make it free of animal ingredients.
Burger King initially trialed the Impossible Whopper in 59 locations in and around St. Louis, Missouri, launching on April 1. It has now rolled out to three new cities: Miami, Montgomery, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia. The chain has plans to make the sandwich available in more US regions throughout the Summer, and nationally by the end of 2019 if the reception is positive.
Impossible Whopper in Europe
Now the company has announced that it will launch a similar sandwich in Europe – starting in Sweden from today.
“Many guests are asking for more options to reduce their meat consumption,” said Iwo Zakowski, CEO of Burger King Sweden.
“We hope that the plant-based alternative will appeal to both new and existing guests.”
Heme
According to The Spoon, a different patty is being used because the Impossible Burger’s special ingredient – heme – has not yet been approved in Europe.
“Impossible’s heme is produced with genetically modified yeast,” says the Outlet. “While the heme itself isn’t a genetically modified organism (GMO) per se, it’s still made through genetic modification — which means it would have to be approved for sale by the European Food Safety Authority.
“Even though the FDA has decreed that heme is generally recognized as safe, there’s no guarantee that European authorities would follow suit.”
*This story was updated on May 22 to reflect that the sandwich will not contain the Impossible Burger patty.
