UNITED STATES, February 23, 2018 (CNBC): Back in the day, the distinction was simple. Animals are meat, and plants are not. But now, it’s getting a lot more complicated thanks to cultured, or what some might call “fake,” meat. Companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are using science labs and farms, rather than animal meat, to create products that rival traditional grilling staples like burgers and hot dogs. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association is looking to draw a line in the sand and launch what could be the first salvo in a long battle against plant-based foods. Earlier this month, the association filed a 15-page petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture calling for an official definition for the term “beef,” and more broadly, “meat.”
“While at this time alternative protein sources are not a direct threat to the beef industry, we do see improper labeling of these products as misleading,” said Lia Biondo, the association’s policy and outreach director. “Our goal is to head off the problem before it becomes a larger issue.” Not everyone sees it that way. Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, said consumers already know what they’re looking for when they’re browsing the grocery store aisles. But he doesn’t necessarily see the petition as a bad thing. “I think it actually could help us more than it could hurt us because it starts the national dialogue around what really is meat, and if the origin of meat really matters to the consumer,” said Brown. Allied Market Research has said the plant-based industry could bring in $5.2 billion in sales by 2020, and that means a lot more “fake meat” products will be hitting the shelves.
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