Opinion Cross-Contamination Is Not A Vegan Issue Written by Joshua Franks

In the spirit of Veganuary, companies worldwide have jumped at the opportunity to capitalise on the ever-increasing demand for plant-based products. The widely popular UK bakery Greggs—who made headlines last year following the immensely successful launch of their vegan sausage roll—is one of the many high street food outlets to have expanded their vegan offerings in recent weeks.

Among the new releases - two, in particular, have stirred up a fair bit of controversy within the vegan community: KFC's Imposter Burger and Burger King's Rebel Whopper - with much of the debate surrounding the topic of cross-contamination.

In the case of the Rebel Whopper—which consists of a "100% plant-based, sustainably sourced soy patty"—many take issue with the broiler used to cook it. Burger King themselves describe the new burger as "unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans" and maintain that it is "cooked on the same broiler as [the] original WHOPPER® to deliver the same unique flame-grilled taste".

KFC, on the other hand, proclaim their brand new Imposter Burger—made solely of a Quorn fillet—to be 100% vegan, though the fries that many consumers may consider to be an essential accompaniment to it are not. Why? Because the vegetable oil in which they are fried is also used to cook popcorn chicken.

Some people see this as a wasted opportunity on the part of the American multi-national fast-food chains, and completely reject the idea of buying into their new products. But others are not so fazed by cross-contamination and it is this very dilemma that has prompted fierce division among some vegans.

I am not a frequent Twitter user by any means, but I know it can be rife with toxicity at the best of times. In recent days, I have seen a tremendous amount of in-fighting, with some vegans being called "fake" and "scummy" for eating the fries at KFC and others receiving a similar treatment for defending those that do.

Clearly, the Rebel Whopper demonstrates a more extreme case of cross-contamination. But all of this begs the question: is cross-contamination really a vegan issue in the first place? I don't think so.

I should preface this by saying that I would not choose to eat something subject to cross-contamination if I could help it. For me, it would eliminate the sense of "purity" that I gain by abstaining from the consumption of animal products. I value it for selfish reasons. Mentally, I feel better for it. Why? I don't know. But does that make me The Better Vegan™?

Of course not.

At its core, Veganism is the rejection of the commodity status that society has placed on animals. We live in line with this philosophy by eliminating our demand for animal products and in turn, abstaining from their consumption. People may end up following a plant-based diet for other reasons - be it the environment or their health - but fundamentally, Veganism is an extension of the animal rights movement.

It is widely accepted that when cooked in fresh vegetable oil, fries are 100% vegan. There's no doubt about it. Why? Because to fulfil their purchase - no intentional harm was imposed on a sentient being. It is merely creating a demand for potatoes and vegetable oil, two blatantly vegan products. Simple.

With that in mind, what actually changes when - say, Popcorn Chicken - is also cooked in that oil? Yes, there has been "cross-contamination", but at which point did the order create a demand for animal products? When did the order of fried sliced potatoes (in case you don't know what a fry/chip is) cause to KFC increase their supply of Popcorn Chicken? When did more animals have to die?

They didn't.

Now, this is of course, hypothetical. We have already learned that I probably would not want to eat them myself. But we have also established that my abstinence is in the name of "purity" - an entirely selfish and human principle that does not serve to benefit the animals. Ultimately, whether or not people feel comfortable with certain degrees of cross-contamination (because yes, there is an undeniable spectrum to it) is up to them. It is a personal choice that causes no harm to animals or our environment. In short: it's none of your business.

It's almost ironic that we've come full circle and found ourselves facing the "personal choice" argument again. We've all heard it before, often paired with "live and let live" or "I don't care about the food on your plate, so you shouldn't care about mine". I'm starting to sound like a rejectionist meat-eater in a vegan debate! But in that context, such arguments could be met with a strong and impenetrable rebuttal.

Where's the rebuttal here?

Businesses could unquestionably do more to avoid cross-contamination, that would be an objectively good outcome for all parties involved. But if they don't - that's their problem. They're the ones that are limiting their potential customer base. There are more pressing issues that we should be focusing on.

I'm not suggesting that everyone should be apathetic to cross-contamination. If it bothers you, as it bothers me, then that is fine. But we should not lose sight of our objectives or put down those that hold different opinions. Veganism is not about us or our sense of "human purity"; flaunting such an exclusionary attitude only detracts from our message.

We do not live in a vegan utopia, where cross-contamination is of no concern, where animals aren't assigned commodity status at birth. We live on Planet Earth in the year 2020, and it is crumbling around us. As a movement and as individuals, we need to channel our energy into the things that matter: our environment, climate change, animal suffering (both human and non-human) - and the undeniable connection between them all.

Veganism is seriously starting to go mainstream. Over 375,000 people have taken the Veganuary pledge, a number that is growing by the day. It's time for us to get organised. We need to encourage and support one another in our pursuit of a cruelty-free existence. We need to maintain a kind and compassionate community, built on benevolence - a principle at the very heart of the vegan philosophy.

Not for us, but for the animals and the planet we share.