Burger King has completed its nationwide rollout of a Whopper that’s free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, the Miami-based chain said Thursday.
The burger chain began the rollout in February, and it’s part of a broader plan to remove the additives from all of its menu items.
Burger King, a subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International, said that now 85% of its permanent food items in the United States are free of colors, flavors and preservatives from artificial sources. It said that to date it has removed around 8,500 tons of artificial ingredients globally.
Burger King has more than 27,000 locations worldwide, of which more than 7,300 are in the United States.
It is promoting the removal of the artificial ingredients by dubbing its signature item “the real Whopper,” and is putting a sticker with the burger’s ingredient label on every Whopper for a limited time.
It also is running a commercial touting the achievement.
“We put a lot of effort into the Whopper to make it taste great and the real Whopper free of colors, flavors and preservatives from artificial sources has the same iconic flame-grilled flavor that guests know and love,” Chris Finazzo, Burger King’s president for the Americas, said in a press release announcing the completion of the rollout. “This announcement further highlights our commitment to serve delicious, affordable meals our guests can feel good about.”
RBI global chief marketing officer Fernando Machado said the “real Whopper” was part of a broader move by the company.
“We know that real food tastes better and are working hard to remove all preservatives, colors and flavors from artificial sources from the burgers and food we serve in all countries around the world,” he said in the release. “Through our Restaurant Brands for Good framework we are committed to doing the right thing and continuously improving the quality of our food.”
Burger King is just the latest chain to remove artificial ingredients, something that Panera Bread and Papa John’s spearheaded in 2015.
That same year, Subway, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Noodles & Company made commitments to remove artificial ingredients.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
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