Last week the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found that Wimpy's claim that the burger was 100% vege- tarian was untrue.

It followed a complaint by a consumer, Heather Pansegrouw, who said the chain's claim was false, as it fried onions on the same grill as the meat.

The ASA ruled that Wimpy should alter its recipe so that the burger was 100% vegetarian.

In its response, Wimpy said that after the complaint, it had removed the vegetarian burger, as well as the 100% vegetarian logo, from its menu.

The ASA accepted the undertaking on condition that the vegetarian claim was not used in future.

This week the SA Hindu Maha Sabha warned vegetarians to be wary of claims by fast-food outlets if the food was prepared on the same surfaces as meat dishes.

The religious body's Kovilan Ramsamy said food outlets should not mislead in advertising vegetarian items and should cook them without meat contamination.

"I think the consumer must be fully aware. If it says that it is vegetarian, then it should be prepared in a vegetarian manner. The same goes for beef at a butchery. Beef and mutton should be kept separately. Vegetarian meals should be prepared to suit requirements," said Ramsamy.

He called on fast-food outlets to prepare their vegetarian dishes separately and independent of meat dishes, adding it was important to some Hindus.

"Consumers should be given the privilege of being taken into the kitchen to confirm whether it is cooked completely separately. These outlets should give the consumer the opportunity of seeing where it is prepared and how it is prepared.

"The Jewish community eats only kosher meals and will go to those restaurants which prepare only kosher dishes. Restaurants are very particular in presenting a meal to a Jewish patron. The Hindu community must be given the same respect."

Fast-food outlet Nando's policy on vegetarian meals is to serve them only in franchises which can deliver on the promise that meat and vegetarian dishes are cooked separately.

National marketing manager Syl-vester Chauke said Nando's had separate grills for meat and vegetarian dishes.

"Those restaurants of ours who do offer vegetarian dishes are very much in line and very strict in making sure that there is no contamination of meat in vegetarian dishes," he said.

"We have two different grills and two different areas to make the food. We can't use the same place that we used to fry the meat as we do the vegetables. So only restaurants that are able to deliver on that offer vegetarian meals. We take it very seriously."

He said they recently conducted a campaign in the Western Cape that supported vegetarian meal options.

Other fast-food outlets such as McDonalds and Steers, who offer vegetarian options, refused to respond to queries about their products and the validity of their claims.