Burger King has made savory and delectable burgers and other menu items, including various meats. You can find anything and everything from chicken to Beef to pork at B.K. Now you may wonder, does Burger King use natural beef? 

As mentioned on the company’s official website, Burger King uses its ground beef. Its beef patties are made without fillers, preservatives, or additives. 

The price of any meat on the Burger King menu is entirely authentic and free from any preservatives and additives. Keep reading; I am sure you will get more clarity about Burger King’s menu items by the end of the article.

Is Burger King’s Beef Real?

Yes, all the beef menu items at B.K. have 100% authentic beef. The beef used at B.K. is free from fillers and is USDA-certified. 

Therefore, Burger King needs to maintain the standards as per the regulation. For this, Burger King uses 100% Grade A beef, which is considered the highest quality grade of meat. 

The cut of the meat determines the grading of the meat. Therefore, B.K. primarily uses cuts of beef from the chuck, round, and sirloin for their burger patties, which elevates flavor and texture.

You can quickly determine the beef quality at B.K. in a single bite. One Reddit user mentioned that Burger King beef patties have the right flavor and that you can taste natural beef. The other best thing about B.K. burgers is that they are broiled, giving them a nice texture and flavor. 

While trying to understand whether beef is natural, a pertinent question arises: Is the chicken served at B.K. also authentic? We have written an entire article to help you know more about poultry at B.K. 

Did Burger King Use 100% Beef In The Past?

No, Burger King did not use 100% natural beef in the past due to the inclusion of artificial flavors. Approximately 120 artificial ingredients were added to extend the shelf life and enhance the flavors. 

In 2020, a significant change was made, and B.K. announced that they were dropping the artificial ingredients used in creating beef items like Whopper. After this, not one but BK USA banned all 120 artificial ingredients as per Men’s Health.

B.K. also made a hilarious statement by saying they want their customers to enjoy real food, as mentioned in Business Wire. What about before? This announcement has been a wake-up call for many customers constantly consuming fast food. 

Also, there was a very infamous incident in Ireland, the U.K., and Poland. After testing the beef patties, it was found that the four samples were contaminated with horse DNA. As per The Guardian, Burger King apologized for this and terminated their contract with the non-approved beef supplier in Poland. 

There were incidents where we could see that B.K. needed to be more accurate to its beef. However, it currently serves 100% natural beef and is staying away from all artificial ingredients. 

For those who are vegan, Burger King has also introduced Impossible Whopper. You can check the latest menu and see whether Burger King still has The Impossible Whopper in 2024. 

Does B.K. Use Antibiotics In Their Beef?

Yes, Burger King beef patties contain antibiotics. The animals are injected with antibiotics while growing to protect them from diseases. 

Even though their beef patties are USDA-certified and do not use artificial flavors or ingredients, they still use antibiotics. As per Mashable, B.K. is given an F grade (the lowest grade) for the presence of antibiotics in their beef. 

On one hand, the FDA has already banned beef producers from using antibiotics on animals. However, as Mashable stated, due to loose government policy on the use of antibiotics on animals, B.K. is not officially liable to address the public health threat of antibiotics. 

That is why B.K. still needs to comply with the rules and return the surveys, making it difficult for the government to trace and control the use of antibiotics in animals. 

According to Reports prepared by NRDC, Burger King and 14 other fast food chains have been categorized as F Grade. Only Chipotle Mexican Grill is assigned an A grade, whereas Panera has an A-, which is excellent. 

The farm’s animals are raised and given antibiotics to prevent fatal diseases. However, the amount of antibiotics used is very high, and when a human consumes them, his body becomes unreactive to other essential antibiotics. As a result, many medicines do not work on the human body, which is a substantial health-related issue. 

RBI has mentioned that the chicken used at B.K. is raised without antibiotics, which are not crucial to human medicine, as defined by the World Health Organization. However, when it comes to beef, the global beef supply chain needs to be integrated from farm to processing and packing. Beef products originate from various animals bred at multiple locations, and their data is not readily available today. 

Clearly, the beef industry is not traceable, and thus, the government cannot control it. Many beef producers are still selling antibiotic-infused beef to fast-food chains like Burger King, and these food chains could not care less. 

Does B.K. Use Fresh Or Frozen Beef?

No, B.K. does not use frozen beef in its menu items. Fresh meat is utilized to make the patty, which is then frozen for further use. Afterward, the frozen beef patty is passed through direct high heat and moved on a flame-grilled conveyor belt to add to the burgers.  

As per The Daily Meal, the flame-grilled burgers are not at room temperature when 5+they’re grilled. The patties are placed in a broiler in a frozen state and cooked through. Not only a few know, but Burgher King also tested fresh beef Whoppers in some stores. 

In the review by Burger Beast, the size of the patty was a little thick, but it lacked the very pronounced flame-grilled taste. That might be because of using fresh beef. From McDonald’s to Five Guys to Wendy’s, they are all going for fresh meat to give unmatched food experiences to their customers. Regarding burgers, Burger King and Wendy’s are tough competition, and there are debates on which is better.

Did B.K. Use Premium Beef In Any Of The Burgers?

Yes, Burger King has used premium beef in its burgers, such as the Angus Steakburger or the Angus XT Burger. Its beef patties were manufactured from meat from Angus cattle, considered premium quality.

If we talk about the regular hamburgers on the B.K. menu, the quality of the beef patty is well assured by the officials. As per the administration, the company has strict rules and guidelines for the quality of beef patties. 

Other Burger King’s’ sium burgers were trending. Some of the best burgers were the Sirloin Steak Sandwich in 1979, B.K. Back Porch Griller in 2002, and Chef’ Chef’ See Burger. 

However, just like other menu items, these items were discontinued later. 

Did Burger King Use Beef Tallow?

Yes, Burger King did use beef fat, but for a very long time, they have switched to oil, which does not contain beef fat. Using beef tallow in making food has placed Burger King in a very questionable situation. 

In 1990, Burger King swapped the beef fat used to cook its food for a healthier corn-soy blend. Before this, people were skeptical that Burger King fries were vegan because of the beef tallow used for cooking.

Where Does Burger King Source Their Beef From In the USA?

Burger King supplies beef from different local beef suppliers. Some beef suppliers are renowned for their high-quality products, and some are unknown local suppliers, as B.K. still needs to make the suppliers’ information official. 

Two big beef suppliers have confirmed their services for Burger King. RSI is one of the largest meat suppliers, and for more than 20 years, RSI has been an instrumental partner working on behalf of B.K.

Burger King has not officially mentioned its suppliers, but as per Quora, Marfrig is another beef supplier for B.K. If you talk about these suppliers, all of them are USDA-approved. However, there was one such incident where B.K. ended its contract with an Irish beef supplier because some of their samples had horse DNA in the meat. 

Also, one Quora user mentioned that Burger King sources a large part of its hamburgers from a wide range of areas, including Australia and New Zealand. Many suppliers in the USA source meat for B.K.  

Did Burger King Use Horse Meat In Burgers?

No, Burger King did not use horse meat in their burgers. However, there was an incident where some horse DNA was found in beef supplied by an Irish fast-food retailer named Silvercrest. 

In 2013, horse DNA was found in some of the samples of Burger King menu items. The Burger King horse meat controversy negatively impacted the brand. 

However, the case was limited to the B.K. outlet in Ireland, Germany, and Italy, as Irish authorities needed to test the menu items according to food standards. 

Burger King also claimed it had tested the food samples served at its spotless stores. B.K. also added that only small traces of horse DNA are found in some of the outlets in Ireland, Germany, and Italy, where B.K. uses beef products from Silvercrest. 

As per The Guardian, Authorities also claimed that there was no harm to customers because of the same. Furthermore, Burger King terminated their contract and ensured that every supplier followed the guidelines. Now, B.K. suppliers must get GFSI certification. 

So, it is evident that Burger King did not use horse meat in its food, but some samples were found in the beef supplied by one particular retail chain. 

Does Burger King Also Have Halal Beef?

No, Burger King does not sell halal beef, especially in the USA. According to a YouTube video by HalalRun, Burger King serves halal meat in many countries, including the UK, India, and Malaysia, except the USA and Canada. 

You can check for halal certification on the B.K. menu or review the detailed ingredients to determine whether  Burger King is halal at your location.  

Not even burgers, but their other non-meat menu items are not halal as the same oil is used to fry the patties and other items. The oil is already contaminated, so the food at B.K. in the USA and Canada is not halal. 

Apart from the USA, if we talk about other countries, they do have a halal menu. Countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe have separate halal menus for their customers. 

What Is Burger King’s Sustainable Program?

Burger King’s parent company, RBI, has introduced a beef sustainability program focusing on delivering high-quality, sustainable beef. This step is taken to find scalable solutions to tackle the climate impact of the food B.K. produces. 

For this, RBI ensured that they are improving their sourcing approach, promoting best practices at all levels of the supply chain and driving innovative solutions through research and collaboration. 

The step was taken after receiving backlash from customers who knew of the various environmental impacts caused by this giant fast-food chain. According to an article by Earth.org, Burger King was one of the major companies responsible for deforestation. 

Burger King mostly runs on beef, along with soy, palm oil, and paper products, which are responsible for deforestation issues. The animals were fed on soy plantations, which caused the loss of tropical forests in Brazil and Bolivia. 

Therefore, beef suppliers in Brazil and other South American nations contributed vast amounts to deforestation in 2017. 

In 1980, U.S. activists spread the word about the same situation and asked people to boycott the local Burger King’King’sheir area.

RBI made it clear that Burger King is putting effort into implementing sustainable cattle grazing practices through its program. 

Moving on, RBI also acknowledged that 14.5% of all human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are caused by livestock, of which beef production accounts for 41%. 

As the cows were fed on grass, their digestive systems were complex, and during the digestion process, cows released a lot of methane. It is considered a high contributor to global warming, and as B.K. mostly runs on beef, they were one of the fast food chains contributing to the wrong environment. 

Therefore, Burger King launched a three-year grasslands restoration program. They also mentioned supporting the Cattle Ranchers with Regenerative Agriculture Practices. Furthermore, they explored innovative feed additives with their suppliers and ranchers to reduce cattle-based methane emissions. 

Conclusion 

As we approach the end of this conversation, fast food chains like Burger King have made significant changes in their menus and ingredients. 

Now, they are more focused on health-related aspects for their customers. However, many questions remain, like what oil Burger King uses to fry its food or what mayo It adds to its food. 

Despite everything, I love eating at B.K. I wish I knew what BBQ sauce B.K. uses so that I could make some for myself at home. Like beef, many wonder what type of fish B.K. uses and where it comes from. 

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ’s]