Burger King launch new plant-based Whopper burger

The Impossible Whopper is being trialled in US city St Louis and customers have had their first taste of the beef-less patty.

The burger provides a meat-free alternative to the famed flame-grilled beef Whopper.

It has been described as the Whopper’s “twin” by the burger’s manufacturer and contains 17g of protein and zero cholesterol.

The burger’s likeness to real meat has been praised by some on social media.

One user commented: “It’s actually really good. I would not be able to tell it wasn’t really beef.”

Another customer posted on social media: “Would do again.”

The burger is being produced by environmentally-focused food manufacturer Impossible Foods.

Other ingredients in the patty include sunflower oil and heme – a plant-based ingredient that makes the burger “taste like meat”, according to the company.

Impossible Foods’ mission statement claims that “using animals to make meat is a prehistoric and destructive technology” and using meat-free alternatives is important for the environment.

It adds: “Animal agriculture occupies almost half the land on earth, consumes a quarter of our freshwater and destroys our ecosystems.”

Bakery chain Greggs recently boosted its sales by introducing a vegan sausage roll to their range, with the company’s CEO Roger Whiteside labelling the product a “revelation”.