Attempt to outlaw ‘veggie burger’ term is mincemeat

AN ATTEMPT by the meat industry to outlaw the term “veggie burger” has been thrown out by a federal court in the US.

Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana and South Dakota have all passed strict laws banning plant-based food manufacturers from labelling their products as burgers or sausages.

The new rules, under which manufacturers faced a fine of up to $1,000 (£750) for each offending label, were designed to stick up for American cattle farmers in America’s heartland who are threatened by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs developing popular meatfree alternatives.

However, in Arkansas, the legislation has now been blocked in a challenge by one of the leading manufacturers of plant-based food, the Tofurky Company.

In its ruling, the court blocked Arkansas from enforcing its meat labelling censorship law.

“Legislatures that have passed or are considering similarly absurd laws in their states should take note of this ruling and correct course now,” a lawyer in the case said.

The ruling is the latest skirmish in a deepening cultural and commercial battle that has drawn in Republicans and Democrats. Conservatives, like Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz, have been scathing about vegan food as they seek to shield their rural voters.

During his bitter election battle with Beto O’Rourke last year, he claimed on Twitter that the Democrats would ban barbecues across the state.

Supporters of the legislation said that consumers were confused by the use of terms associated with meat on labels for plant-based food. Opponents described it as an assault on free speech.

The case was underpinned by soaring demand for alternatives to meat which, according to the Plant Based Food Association, has seen sales grow five times faster than the food sector as a whole.

Scientists writing in the Lancet Planetary Health journal said this week that 2030 should be considered the peak year for meat consumption, after which it needs to drop dramatically to tackle climate change.