Nebraska Lawmakers Want to Ban the Word “Meat” From Vegetarian Substitutes
Nebraska is the country’s second-leading producer of beef, and is in the top ten of pork producers.
That makes Nebraska one of the meatiest states in the country, and now Nebraska lawmakers are seeking to protect their meat industry in a similar way other states have treated dairy: by proposing a ban on labeling any meat substitute as “meat.”
The debate over whether oat, soy, and almond milks are “milk” has galvanized the dairy industry to pressure the FDA to ban the use of the word “milk” from the packaging of those non-animal-based beverages. The arguments put forth by the meat industry, and the Nebraska lawmakers pushing this proposal, are roughly similar: that by using the word “meat,” or “milk,” consumers will be confused about the contents of the product.
They also argue that the word “meat” has a distinct definition, referring to an animal product. Interestingly, they specifically want to define “meat” as coming from “livestock or poultry,” and excluding not only plant-based alternatives but also lab-grown meat and insect meat. (Apparently insects aren’t animals, or at least not as much animals as cattle and hogs.) The Associated Press notes that one of the bill’s supporters is, surprisingly, a vegetarian, who supports the bill because she grew up on a farm and wants to protect her home state’s vital industry.
Opponents of the bill state that there is no confusion, that nobody really mistakes Tofurkey for turkey, and that the bill is designed to protect one industry’s interests, rather than the interests of the public.
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by Dan Nosowitz, Modern Farmer
January 18, 2019
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What exactly does this mean for store owners in Nebraska that carry the meat labeled products? I know Walmart and Target both have vegetarian/vegan meatless products. Not sure how they would respond to changes and movement in the negative direction for vegetarian/vegan dietary supplements. I live in Texas and I find it so weird that this oppression is happening, I used to be vegetarian – I sincerely hope this doesnt make it more difficult for vegetarians to find their food fixings (I am a huge fan of Tofurkey and the tofu hotdogs, veggie burgers, veggie corndogs, but I never liked… Read more »
Both the Dairy Council and beef and pork farmers who find the names of vegetarian options dangerous to their earning a living, are making ridiculous claims that I have no doubt will be thrown out of court. Coconut milk has been called that, I assume, for centuries and I’m pretty darn sure nobody accidently puts it in their coffee. My friend’s son cannot eat dairy, he uses almond milk on his cereal. Finally, he doesn’t feel left out of an American tradition, a bowl of cereal and MILK. As the article mentions no one reaches for theses meat and dairy… Read more »
Labelling a food product as vegetarian (no animal flesh) or vegan (no animal products) automatically identifies it as a product that does not contain meat.
There is no need to say ‘meatless’ vegetarian pizza or ‘meatless’ vegan sausages – anyone with a brain who reads vegetarian/vegan already understands that there is no meat in the product; to add a ‘meatless’ tag/qualifier to the label of any of these products is redundant and unnecessary.
As for the milk issue, simply add ‘substitute’ to the label: Almond/soy milk-substitute.