Culver's Is Getting Ready To Re-Wrap Its Iconic ButterBurger

If you're a Midwesterner, what would be the first thing you thought of when someone mentioned Culver's? Fried cheese curds? Crinkle fries? Frozen custard? Or maybe your mind wanders to digging into a big, juicy, fresh-off-the-grill ButterBurger?

As explained on the Culver's website, the chain's famous ButterBurgers aren't cooked in a big tub of butter or anything so deliciously absurd, but they have earned the name since the fry cooks "lightly butter the crown of the bun for an extra touch of goodness." However the ButterBurger is cooked, it can't be denied that many people fortunate to live by a Culver's really love it. In 2017, Business Insider proclaimed Culver's as one of the best burger chains in the United States — an impressive feat considering its limited Midwest locations. There was even a "CurderBurger", a combination of cheese curd and ButterBurger that started out as an April Fool's prank until customers demanded it be brought to life for one single day (via Wisconsin Public Radio).

But the tried-and-true tradition of the ButterBurger is getting ready to undergo a slight change to how it's presented. Don't worry, they're not swapping out the butter for margarine or changing the name. Instead, Culver's wants to hand you your burger with a more natural wrapper.

Before you worry that your side of crinkle fries has been doused in some unpronounceable chemical substance, this change has nothing to do with the food itself. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Culver's is working with its packaging suppliers to phase out "forever chemicals" from their wrappers and packaging. A type of these chemicals, is known as "oper- and polyfluoroalkyl substances," or "PFAS."

The US Environmental Protection Agency elaborates on what exactly "PFAS" are, explaining that these are long-lasting chemicals (hence the name "forever chemicals") and are incredibly common. So common, in fact, that these chemicals can be found in everything from soil, the blood of people and animals, and even in food. It's no wonder that Culver's would want to try and distance itself from using these types of products.

Both McDonald's and Burger King were sued for reasons involving the "PFAS" in their packaging, as well as concerns that the chains misrepresented the safety of their food. According to Nation's Restaurant News, both companies have promised to eliminate these chemicals from their packaging by 2025. Now, the next time you may find yourself eating a ButterBurger or some Culver's custard, you can rest a bit easier knowing the restaurant is striving towards avoiding chemicals in its packaging.