Carl's Jr, The Beyond Burger, and the Commercialization of Veganism - My Two Cents

By now, everyone in the vegan community knows that Carl's Jr is selling the Beyond Burger. If you didn't, it's now available at every location (no Hardees unfortunately). For those not familiar, Carl's Jr is your run of the mill fast food joint that is present across mostly the west coast of the U.S. They have no other vegan-friendly options, aside from fries. If you order the Beyond Burger with no cheese and sauce, it is completely vegan. They will even wrap it in lettuce for those who are sensitive to gluten or trying to avoid bread. 

Now, I personally was incredibly happy when I heard that Carl's Jr would be doing this. As a gluten-free vegan who doesn't live in L.A. or Portland, I find it very hard to get food on the go. Road trips and late nights with an empty fridge suddenly became much easier for me. Being able to run in and grab a vegan patty wrapped in lettuce on a road trip was my dream. I definitely would not, and still don't, consider this to be something healthy or something to eat every day. But overall, I was just excited to see such a big company offering a vegan option.

I wasn't shocked when I logged online and saw all of the controversy, though. For as long as I have been vegan, I have seen people who are against anything that isn't, raw, organic, fair trade, local, low fat, oil free, etc... Many people had arguments for why they didn't think this burger coming to a mainstream chain was a good thing. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I do feel that many people are missing the point. I want to first share why I think this is a good thing, and then I'll go over some of the arguments against this beyond burger-Carl's Jr. mash up.

First off, I think it is great to see an offering at a mainstream chain for us vegans. This enables those who live in rural areas but still have a Carl's Jr to enjoy a meal out or just a vegan burger in general. Another bonus is that non-vegans may try this just because it is there. In fact, while researching to write about this, I saw multiple food review channels (non-vegan) trying this out just because it was new! People who otherwise would be eating animal products chose to eat vegan, even if it was just for one meal. That alone is enough for me to support this fusion. Additionally, some of those may find that they actually like the taste of the burger, may chose it once in a while because it's healthier, or on a grand scale, may even try out going meat-free because they liked the burger. 

Next, this partnership is a sign of the times. Veganism is becoming popular, and I don't care who wants to capitalize off of it. If there's more vegan food out there, if more people are talking about, I'm happy! I really believe in the reducetarian approach and think every little bit helps. One less animal killed is better than none to me. 

Lastly, I think it's important for vegans to go out and buy these options when they show up. The more we buy, the more of a demand is created. These business executives will see that veganism is becoming more prevalent and will continue to to implement more vegan options. The more options, the more exposure. I understand if people personally don't want to support it. I don't even applaud Carl's Jr. for doing this as I know it's probably only about the money for them. But overall, I do want to buy this burger and show them that meat is becoming less popular and vegan options are more sought after. 

Now onto the arguments. There are far too many for me to go over, but I'll try to hit on some of the main ones. One thing I noticed many people saying was that we shouldn't be supporting an establishment that sells animal products. Well, very few of us are privileged enough to shop at only vegan stores, work at all vegan jobs, and etc. If you shop at Whole Foods, for example, you're still technically supporting an establishment that sells animal products. That is inescapable to me, and I don't think it's a valid enough reason to denounce the burger altogether. 

Another argument I have seen is that Carl's Jr is just offering this option to make money. That, in my opinion, is an absolute fact. But that doesn't mean we should avoid the vegan option because of it. Many people and companies do things just for profit. It's up to us to vote with our dollars and show them that veganism is more profitable. I don't care if their intentions are selfish, as long as less animals are being harmed, I'm happy.

The last major argument I see is people saying it's not truly vegan because of cross contamination. Any place you eat that is not fully vegan will have cross contamination. Products you buy made in shared facilities will likely be contaminated to some extent with non-vegan products. I understand not wanting to eat something that was cooked next to a burger, or even in the same oil. But, that doesn't make it non-vegan. Even if you consume micro particles of meat, you still did not pay for it. You did not support or create a demand for animal products in any way. If you don't want to consume it for personal reasons fair enough. But, I do not think it's okay to say a burger isn't vegan because of possible cross contamination. 

I hope that I was able to politely explain my position and why I don't agree with many arguments against the Beyond Burger being at Carl's Jr. If you have anything to add in or disagree with me, feel free to comment or contact me on my Instagram page, My Vegan Kitchn. As always, thanks for stopping by and taking time out of your day to read this blog! See ya with a new post on Friday. 

xx Makennah