MEPs plan to ban ‘meat-like’ names for veggie and vegan food


They say that this is ‘common sense’ and that to use such names for meat-free food is somehow misleading; such a proposal is supported by those involved in the meat industry. This implies that they honestly believe that somebody will pick up a packet labelled ‘Vegetarian Sausages’ and think they contain meat. 

Such a proposal shows the utter contempt that the meat industry has for consumers. 

There is also a great irony in those with animal farming interests talking about vegan products being ‘misleading’. Let’s start with the names that they give to ‘their’ products: bacon – rather than dead pig, beef – rather than dead cow flesh, milk – rather than bovine mammary secretion.  If the farming industry thinks sticking the word ‘vegetarian’ in front of the word ‘sausage’ is misleading, surely completely redefining what a product actually is, is just as misleading? If the farming industry wants to stop consumers from being misled, they should start with themselves and be honest about the ‘products’ they produce.