Burger King’s Halloween Whopper: Eat It and Watch the Toilet Turn Green

In an effort to celebrate the fall season, most chains introduce pumpkin, apple, or spice flavored desserts or beverages.

Burger King, however, decided to go with a more creep-tastic offering — the Halloween Whopper.

The Miami -based fast food company introduced the sandwich, which features an unlikely selling point — a black bun that has the flavor of A.1. steak sauce baked into the bread. Burger King introduced a black whopper in Japan last year, but the sandwich didn’t reach American shores until now. 

The gimmicky charcoal bun is the difference here. The rest is just a classic Whopper — a flame-grilled beef patty is topped with melted American cheese, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles, onions, and a dollop more steak sauce, wrapped cleverly to look like a mummy. 

In a statement, Eric Hirschhorn, chief marketing officer for Burger King North America, touted the themed item, saying, “Our U.S. guests have been extremely curious about the bun flavors they’ve seen introduced in Japan and other countries, so we saw the opportunity to bring them an equally unique experience. We tailored the flavor of the black bun to the American palate with A.1. sauce, a flavor this country loves, and we’re delivering it in a way that’s never been done before by baking it into the bun. It may look Japanese but it tastes like America.”

Hirschhorn may actually be giving American consumers a little more than they bargained for when they chow into the $4.99 sandwich. The Whopper, which generally comes with a side of fries and a soft drink ($6.99), also offers something completely different. This, however, is more side effect than side order. With every Halloween Whopper, the eater is gifted with green poop. That’s, right, folks. Your Halloween Whopper may go in black, but it comes out bright green. This is something I learned after I Instagrammed a picture of my half eaten burger and received the following comment:

In fact, #GreenPoop is trending on Twitter, with some graphic (and hilarious commentary):

I think burger king should bring back the Halloween Whopper for Saint Patrick's Day #GreenPoop

— Dan's Haunting (@Dansgaming) October 8, 2015

I want to try the Burger King black whopper, for no other reason than seeing my poop turn green. #GreenPoop

— Aaron Saltzman (@amsaltzman) October 6, 2015

And the best by far:

.@BurgerKing I've made a new graphic for your Halloween Burger. You're welcome. #GreenPoop pic.twitter.com/IcIVemOiPX

— Giana Mucci (@RatedGiana) October 6, 2015

The reason for the reaction, according to USA Today, is the food coloring used to make the bun a charcoal hue. They asked Dr. Pamela Reilly, a naturopathic doctor and certified nutrition counselor, who said, “To make poop turn that color green, it would require far more dye than is in the typical type of A.1. My guess is that they’re using a concentrated form.” The paper even went so far as to produce a short video explaining the phenomenon.

An email sent to Burger King’s public relations rep about the green poop has yet to be answered. 

As for what really happens the day after you eat a Halloween Whopper?

Well, let’s just say I was feeling a little green the next morning. Trick’s on me.