Vegan ‘Meat’ Makers Sue Mississippi Over What to Call It
Food companies say the meat industry is trying to protect its turf by preventing them from linking their products to popular items like burgers and hot dogs.
For vegans, things have never been better: This Fourth of July, they can grill up their choice of plant-based burgers, sausages and hot dogs, dressing them with egg-free mayonnaise and dairy-free cheese—before finishing off with a scoop or two of cream-less ice cream.
But not everyone is happy about it. State by state, meat and dairy industries have found sympathetic legislators and pushed for bills that restrict the way these products are labeled in stores, arguing that foods can only be called “milk” if it’s the result of lactation and “meat” if it’s from a slaughtered animal. This follows decades of relatively little resistance by the dairy industry amid a recent explosion of dairy-free milks made from soy, almonds, oats and a host of other ingredients.