Hungry Jacks Whopper Junior (burger) with fries
What if an everyday product were subject to a sketchy sustainability assessment? Polluticon reports.
What is it?
The meal that I ate.
An inexpensive take on the tired fast-food genre, offering a range of ups and downs in terms of sensory pleasures – from the aroma of the burger to its ability to be guzzled down with fizzy soft drink.
Most likely it is intended as a time-efficient respite from the very human (and non-human) need for metabolising energy.
How does it perform against this imagined intent?
Retailing for $3.70 (for the burger) plus $3.55 for fries and drink, it totals $7.25, if I remember the correct price, which is inexpensive. Is it worth paying? Well, I’m certainly not saying it’s worth stealing! You might be able to get more food in this price range by shopping around at a competitor, or by buying something from a grocery store, delicatessen or local farmer and then preparing it yourself.
The meal took possibly eight minutes to eat, and several minutes to prepare.
This blurry photo shows 90% of the product branding information, and all of the non-evident nutritional information.
Will it save the world?
| Yes | No |
| It’s tasty! And has that burger smell. They even tried something interesting by having a kind of yoghurt sauce on the burger. | It has no procurement nor ingredients information whatsoever on the packaging. In an age where their competitors (McDonalds with their Happy Meal) can provide their customers with such information, Hungry Jacks’ apparent refusal to release such information smacks of a) arrogance [in not allowing consumers to know what is in their product] and b) artsy integrity – there’s no unnecessary information to spoil the beautiful canvas that is their packaging.It doesn’t do sustainable procurement – because one cannot evaluate what’s in it, nor how it was manufactured. Did the burger patty originate in Australia? How far did it travel? Did the animal who I presume was killed for this meal have at least ‘free-range’ conditions to live? Do Hungry Jacks take steps to minimise their contribution to anthropogenic climate change?These are all taxing questions which should be asked, although perhaps they are best addressed in an annual review (or energy efficiency opportunities act-compliant report) rather than displayed on the paper wrapping that accompanies the burger!
On a positive note, Hungry Jacks proudly support Keep Australia Beautiful. |
| If you’re running out of time on a lunch break, this is surely a useful option. | If you don’t have the time/resources/inclination to prepare a quick, healthy meal yourself, then when will you make the time? Sorry to be harsh, but I thought it important to pretend to be a health advocate. |
Admire the packaging. It is visually distracting.
Take a look – emblazoned on the packaging is the Keep Australia Beautiful logo.
Disclaimer: I ate this meal a few weeks ago, and didn’t take any notes. Er, I ate a burger – why would I take notes! Hence, what I’ve written here may or may not be true. Just assume that I fabricated all facts and opinions, and all will be well.
Teenage Dirtbag Sustainability Academy 