Friday, 16 October 2020

Meat Lobby on an EU Rampage?

The Meat Lobby is reportedly vigorously campaigning for the EU parliament to insist that any food item labelled 'steak, sausage, escalope or burger' must contain meat, rather than plant products (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/16/eu-ban-veggie-burger-label-parliament-vote-meat). Although there are already bans on plant-based alternatives calling themselves 'milk, cream, butter or yoghourt', they also want any description, likening the veggie products to dairy, outlawed. So vendors would not be allowed to used terms such as 'style','imitating' or even 'substitute'. They claim that the public is being 'misled'. Other people have pointed out that the public know exactly what they are doing when they opt for a meat or dairy-free alternative. They also point out that the EU is currently trying to convince the public to eat less meat. This is to benefit their health and to reduce the 'greenhouse gas' emissions that drive climate change. I do think it's a little odd to want your veggie alternative to look like a meat or a dairy product but I really can't see that it causes any harm, except to meat sales. This is clearly a commercially-driven campaign.

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