Meat industry asks eu to ban “meat” label on veg food

[Tomas]

Following article was in the news yesterday...

European meat industry group "the Liaison Centre for the Meat Processing Industry" in the EU (CLITRAVI) has petitioned the European Union to ban the use of meat terminology on vegetarian and vegan product labels. According to the Irish branch of media outlet The Independent, CLITRAVI is pushing for new guidelines that would prohibit the use of terms such as “meat replacer,” “vegetarian meat,” “vegetarian chicken,” and “vegetarian bacon,” in addition to terms that use a derivative of animal names—such as “chiken,” “porc,” or “beaf”—as they state products such as these are misleading to consumers. Stateside, a group of congressmen similarly petitioned the USDA to pass the Dairy Pride Act that disallow the use of the term “milk” on dairy-free products, also claiming it was misleading to consumers. These proposals show that the animal agriculture industry is feeling the stiff competition of the global growth of meat and dairy alternatives.

I guess the meat industry is feeling their wallets are slightly shrinking thanks to our efforts...

Here's my thoughts on this article:

"Do you remember that time we accidentaly bought a vegetarian sausage? I was so confused and angry when I found out..." --> said no one EVER.

Do you actually think this could happen? Do they really think the consumer is too dumb to notice whether something is vegetarian/vegan or not even though it is clearly stated?

"Dairy Pride Act"? Seriously? People are getting proud now for pulling away helpless calves from their mothers to steal the mother's milk for human consumption and slaughtering the calf to become veal?

How do you feel about the article?

 

[mavrick45]

They're feeling cornered and are lashing out

I'm laughing all the way to the vegan bank

 

[Let's Talk Vegan]

It is ridiculous to try and have a monopoly on a word, just because now veganism isn't a "fringe movement" anymore and is starting to dip into the meat and dairy industries profit. And if they are so big on transparency why don't they show people where their meat is from and how it is produced. Or perhaps label their products cow instead of beef, or chicken instead of poultry. Oh, wait that would turn people off of meat and dairy more...

They think people are confused and that's why their profits are decreasing, but it's like nope, it's because meat is so unnecessary for so many reasons that people no longer want to ingest hormone-pumped, inhumane, disease-causing meat and dairy.

 

[Tomas]

This type of thing gets me quite worked up. Can't the meat industry see how transparent their motives are? Also it always feels we're taking baby steps forward and than a giant leap backwards just because farmers can't seem to understand that a profitable company needs to get with the times. They say the dinosaurs became extinct 66 million years ago but it feel some might be hiding in the agricultural branch of the EU...

 

[FredVegrox]

It doesn't seem that it should matter much to vegans. The animal agriculture businesses are feeling that threat. But vegans will keep choosing the vegan options in anything, and any names are not going to change that. Still, there is no great problematic risk of people mistakenly choosing a vegan alternative to what is having animal products because of a name used. There is much more of a problem that exists when items with animal products are not as easily identifiable as such for those who would avoid animal products with their choice.

 

[Lou]

It is ridiculous to try and have a monopoly on a word, just because now veganism isn't a "fringe movement" anymore and is starting to dip into the meat and dairy industries profit. And if they are so big on transparency why don't they show people where their meat is from and how it is produced. Or perhaps label their products cow instead of beef, or chicken instead of poultry. Oh, wait that would turn people off of meat and dairy more...

They think people are confused and that's why their profits are decreasing, but it's like nope, it's because meat is so unnecessary for so many reasons that people no longer want to ingest hormone-pumped, inhumane, disease-causing meat and dairy.

Um. not sure that their profits are decreasing. Milk consumed per capita is on the decrease but there is more milk being consumed now than ever. Same with beef. Or at least with meat in general.

They are just greedy and want whatever part of the market "fake meat" and "fake milk" are siphoning off.

 

[Let's Talk Vegan]

Um. not sure that their profits are decreasing. Milk consumed per capita is on the decrease but there is more milk being consumed now than ever. Same with beef. Or at least with meat in general.

They are just greedy and want whatever part of the market "fake meat" and "fake milk" are siphoning off.

Yeah, people may be consuming more, but through government tariffs, poorly throughout international trade agreements that affect the food industry, drought, wildfires, recalls of products (which leads to lawsuits), and taxes, they are taking a significant hit. Plus, having another industry try and dethrone them in the midst of all this, it seems that they are trying to maintain control and their bottom line. Well, this is just my opinion at least.

 

[veganDreama]

I hope labelling something as fake meat doesn't get banned although apart from fake fish I don't eat much fake meat any more but it's a useful prop for new vegans who miss the taste of meat.

 

[Tomas]

I guess that they could, if this would become actual regulation, essentially start using silly names like calling a veggieburger a "floppy" or egg-replacer "Didn't come out of a chicken's *** but tasty anyway" or veggie steak "looks like cow, tastes like cow but is acutally NOT a dead cow". Put the emphasis on that it is NOT meat and that it is NOT dairy instead of saying it's a replacement for it. This is what they are asking right?

 

[Slonaut]

Hilarious.

 

[SapphireLightning]

I guess that they could, if this would become actual regulation, essentially start using silly names like calling a veggieburger a "floppy" or egg-replacer "Didn't come out of a chicken's *** but tasty anyway" or veggie steak "looks like cow, tastes like cow but is acutally NOT a dead cow". Put the emphasis on that it is NOT meat and that it is NOT dairy instead of saying it's a replacement for it. This is what they are asking right?

I could see it now:
"Unlike our meat based competition, our soy patties contain no feces, blood, bone, genitalia, or anus!"
"Our Almond drink contains no puss or blood and does not involve slitting baby male cows throats, unlike all dairy products!"
(Seen in the "fun facts" section of a Kala Namak breakfast mix) "Eggs come out of the cloaca of female chickens. Cloaca means Sewer in Latin, as this one orifice is used for Urine, Feces AND Eggs eaten for breakfast! Isn't learning fun!"
"Our tasty agave syrup is cruelty free and is not made of vomit, unlike Honey."

Hmm, maybe we should have a thread for ideas along this line, it is fun to come up with advertising ideas

 

[Sax]

I Can't Believe It's Not Cruelty!

 

[Tomas]

I could see it now:
"Unlike our meat based competition, our soy patties contain no feces, blood, bone, genitalia, or anus!"
"Our Almond drink contains no puss or blood and does not involve slitting baby male cows throats, unlike all dairy products!"
(Seen in the "fun facts" section of a Kala Namak breakfast mix) "Eggs come out of the cloaca of female chickens. Cloaca means Sewer in Latin, as this one orifice is used for Urine, Feces AND Eggs eaten for breakfast! Isn't learning fun!"
"Our tasty agave syrup is cruelty free and is not made of vomit, unlike Honey."

Hmm, maybe we should have a thread for ideas along this line, it is fun to come up with advertising ideas

Thank you kindly for putting it so eloquently !!!
Great examples . I feel this is way better than being an "alternative" for a product that is bad to begin with.
It's just common business sense to get as far away as possible from bad produce.