Cattle ranchers take their 'beef' with veggie burgers and 'meatless meat' to the next level

They sizzle, they bleed and they taste very similar to actual animal flesh – but should alternative meat burgers and other plant-based products that mimic the taste of the real thing be permitted to bear a “meat” label? The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association doesn’t think so. According to USA Today, the beef industry group is taking measures to prevent alternative proteins from using the term “meat” in their marketing and packaging. With the number of these “meatless meat” products expected to rise in the coming years, the association has filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, requesting a sanctioned definition for both “beef” and “meat.” Industry disruptors such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods make plant-based patties without the use of animal products. They freely use the term “meat” to describe their products, however, which a spokesperson for the association calls “misleading.” The association isn’t alone in its efforts to stymie the meat analogue industry through challenging its terminology. The EU meat industry began lobbying for food labelling changes in the summer of 2017 – asking that words including “bacon,” “chicken nuggets,” and “hamburger” be limited to animal products. While the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association is preparing for a fight, companies like Maple Leaf Foods and Tyson Foods have already joined the plant-based party. Last year, Maple Leaf acquired Field Roast Grain Meat Co. – producer of vegan meats and dairy products –and Tyson increased its investment in Beyond Meat...more