The Vegetarian Resource Group recently received a press release announcing White Castle’s latest vegan menu option.
Starting in March 2020, The restaurant chain White Castle is offering the vegan Impossible Slider on its vegan bun with vegan cheese in New York and New Jersey. According to the press release, White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson hopes to make it national in the near future.
Sarah Walters, Director of Public Relations of RMD Advertising who represents GOOD PLANet Foods, sent us the press release. The VRG asked her to confirm that everything about this menu offering was vegan.
We started our inquiry by asking for the ingredient statements for all components of this menu item.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that Sarah responded with the complete ingredient statements for all three components (patty, bun, and cheese) manufactured by three different companies within 24 hours. This is highly unusual for a public relations firm to be so prompt, and we expressed our gratitude to Sarah for her professional diligence.
Here are the ingredient statements:
- Impossible Slider
Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Cultured Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Soy Leghemoglobin, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.
- Non-dairy cheese
Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Food Starch- Modified (Potato & Tapioca), Potato Starch, Calcium Citrate, Sea Salt, Olive Extract, Cheddar Flavor (Vegan Sources), Paprika Extract & Beta Carotene (Colors)
- Bun
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Yeast, Salt, Vital Wheat Gluten, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate (Csl), Guar Gum, Monoglycerides, Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Alginate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Enzymes. CONTAINS: WHEAT
As a follow-up, we asked Sarah about a few microingredients in this White Castle menu offering which could be derived from animal products. We wanted to confirm that they were all plant-derived. We also asked about kitchen protocols.
Here are our questions followed by the answers from White Castle via GOOD PLANeT Foods.
Microingredients:
The VRG: Are the natural flavors in the Impossible Slider animal-derived?
White Castle: The Impossible Slider contains no animal or animal byproducts.
The VRG: In the bun, is the stearoyl part of calcium stearoyl lactylate animal-derived?
White Castle: Our buns contain no animal or animal byproducts.
The VRG: In the bun, are the monoglycerides animal-derived?
White Castle: Our buns contain no animal or animal byproducts.
Preparation:
The VRG: Are the Impossible Sliders prepared separately from animal products? Do they ever come in contact with animal oils or juices on a shared surface?
White Castle: …We do have procedures for cooking the Impossible Slider on a dedicated griddle, separate from menu items containing animal-derived ingredients…They are prepared in a common kitchen and may come into direct or indirect contact with menu items derived from animal ingredients.
The VRG: Is the bun warmed/cooked in a toaster, microwave or oven that’s used to warm/cook animal products or dairy-containing menu items?
White Castle: Yes—customers can request to not have the bun steamed if they would like…
The VRG: Are separate and sanitized utensils, cookware, etc. always used to serve/make this menu item (Impossible Slider + vegan cheese on this bun)?
White Castle: Yes, we have dedicated small wares for cooking the Impossible Slider…Note that our plant-based products are prepared in a common kitchen and may come into direct or indirect contact with small wares that have touched ingredients derived from animal sources.
Readers with further questions about the Impossible Slider with vegan cheese may contact White Castle.
The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
For information on other restaurant chains, see https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php
For information on vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the USA and Canada, see https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php