Cows Are Cheering Faux Meat

When fast food restaurants jumped on board the faux meat bandwagon alarm bells must have gone off for the “real” meat industry.  Veggi-burgers used to have all the appeal of a warmed hockey puck, but these new plant based burgers, sausages, etc. have demonstrated a broad appeal well beyond hardcore vegetarians.  So, the meat boys (and girls) are fighting back, even enlisting their pals in Congress to insure that faux meat has to bear a scarlet “I” on every label or package. 

Next-generation vegan "meat" like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat has become so popular, it’s available or being tested at more than a dozen chain restaurants ranging from Burger King and Dunkin’ to KFC. Now, some industry groups and others are pushing back. A pair of congressmen -- one Democrat and one Republican -- have introduced the Real MEAT Act of 2019, which would require faux-meat companies to use the word "imitation" on packaging.

There is no evidence that anyone is buying an “Impossible Burger” under the assumption that the “meat” between the buns came from a cow.  But, the cattlemen are certain that their cows are being cheated of their assigned fate at the slaughterhouse. 

“A growing number of fake meat products are clearly trying to mislead consumers about what they’re trying to get them to buy,” Jennifer Houston, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says in a statement. 

And, if consumers won’t buy the fraud argument.  The beef boys are now worried about consumer’s health. They have uncovered that faux meat is filled with ingredients. 

Last week, the food industry-backed Center for Consumer Freedom ran a full-page ad in The  New York Times with the headline, "What's Hiding in Your Plant-Based Meat?" The ad blasts vegan meats as "ultra-processed imitations with dozens of ingredients."

On the other hand, faux meat is also missing some key ingredients.

Nutritionally, plant-based meat is lower in fat and offers fiber that red meat doesn't have, without any of beef's cholesterol. It also won't have antibiotics or animal hormones, which are often found in beef.

Tastes good and might be better for you than real meat.  Let's ask the cows how they feel.