Let's talk about this on the Thursday show.
Vegan food brand Tofurky is fighting back against a Missouri law that recently took effect barring companies from “misrepresenting” their products as “meat” if they don’t contain livestock.
Tofurky has filed a lawsuit defending their right to market their products with various meat terminology, like “sausage” or “hot dogs,” as long as their packaging details the real ingredients. They have support from Oregon-based meat alternatives advocacy group The Good Food Institute, who claim the new law’s vague terms could single out various vegetarian products, forcing many of them (including Tofurky) to change their packaging.
On the other hand, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, who support the law, say that products like Tofurky that make their ingredients clear aren’t the problem. Instead, they worried about the future of scientifically-grown meat (made in a lab by culturing animal cells), which they think should require such disclosure. They, along with other similar groups, want to make sure that as new meat substitutes are created, the words “beef” and “meat” are reserved for harvested animal products.
I have many questions: is this a law that benefits the consumer or does it simply protect the cattle industry as its only benefit? Will Iowa cattlemen push for this law? Why, if you are marketing to vegans, would you WANT vegans to think your product is meat?
I think vegan companies (or companies that "grow" meat) SHOULD be clear that you are NOT getting a sausage or hot dog when you buy such a product. Otherwise, they appear to WANT to deceive some consumers. Because I am sure that vegans want to be SURE that they are buying a product that is not meat.