Kim Kardashian gets called out for 'fake chewing' in new Beyond Meat ad

Call it imitation art?

A collaboration between food brand Beyond Meat and celebrity Kim Kardashian got poor reviews from social media users this week. The television personality and businesswoman recently appeared in a promotional video that revealed she’d been tapped by the plant-based meat alternative to be its “Chief Taste Consultant.”

“I’ve stepped in to help with my greatest asset. My taste,” Kardashian said at the top of the clip which featured her standing at the counter of a sort of taste lab. The video then showed Kardashian testing out and chewing on a hamburger, tacos, a sausage, chicken nuggets and meatballs.

However, the ever-present sleuths of social media weren’t convinced that she’d actually eaten the prepared items. Many were quick to point out that the video consistently cuts before Kardashian can actually be seen sinking her teeth into food. Upon a closer inspection, others highlighted how not a single bite appears taken out of the items, such as the cheeseburger, which seemingly appeals to Kardashian so much that she rolls her head back in approval while “chewing.”

“kim kardashian fake-chewing a beyond meat burger that has no bite taken out of it is making me spiral,” one person wrote of the ad in a post shared on Twitter.

“@KimKardashian saying ‘mmm’ to eating a beyond meat burger there’s no bite take out,” another Twitter user wrote. “Her reaction is as fake as that food they want to call ‘meat.’”

In a statement to TODAY, Beyond Meat responded to questions about the ad and whether or not Kardashian ate the dishes in its commercial.

“When we said Kim’s greatest asset is her taste, we meant it. Of course, she eats Beyond Burgers (and Beyond Chicken Tenders and Beyond Sausages…) in real life and on set. That’s just one of the reasons why we love her and named her our Chief Taste Consultant,” adding that it’s clear to them that their partnership with Kim has definitely generated a lot of interest. “We’re loving that more people are being introduced to us, our products, and our mission.”

Whether Kardashian actually did bite into the items in the commercial, social media users are offering even more food for thought.

In response to the ad, one Twitter user remarked, “Part of me thinks this was premeditated to make it go viral like it is almost too obvious to be real!”