American consumers are idiots. At least, that’s the message sent by a new law recently implemented by the Mississippi state government.
The new rule went into effect earlier this month and makes it illegal for companies that sell vegetable-based meat substitutes such as veggie burgers to label their products as “burgers” or use otherwise meat-like descriptors. This means that the words “hotdog” or “burger” can only be used for actual meat products.
This new law passed in the name of consumer protection: an effort to protect Mississippians from deceptive, fraudulent labeling of fake meat products. In reality, it’s an unnecessary law that insults the intelligence of consumers and breeds corruption to protect big industry incumbents.
Are we seriously supposed to believe that anybody finds the term “veggie burger” confusing?
Such a claim stretches incredulity. And according to Vox, Good Food Institute policy director Jessica Almy said that “there is no evidence that consumers are confused by plant-based bacon or veggie burger labels, and federal laws are already in place that prohibits consumer deception.” This is common sense. Americans have been eating veggie burgers for decades, and I’ve never encountered anyone who thought that they purchasing actual meet or biting into beef. Everything from the smell, texture, and very name “veggie” burger — not to mention the taste — gives it away that the product does not include beef.
If anything, this rule might leave consumers more confused. After all, if businesses can’t say “veggie burger,” what are they going to label their products? Vegetable patty? Or veggie disks?
I don’t know about you, but that’s infinitely more confusing to me.
But that’s clearly not what Mississippi lawmakers cared about here. Protecting the consumer is very often a cover story for protecting politically powerful businesses.
These regulations will help the meat industry and satisfy beef lobbyists. This is a disturbing trend emerging across various levels of government, as evidenced by the Food and Drug Administration’s 2018 condescending consideration of a ban on labeling non-dairy products such as almond milk as “milk.” It’s disturbing to see the resurgence of crony corruption in seemingly innocuous food labeling regulations.
Vox quoted one industry official, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike McCormick, as endorsing the rule profusely: “This bill will protect our cattle farmers from having to compete with products not harvested from an animal.” Is it really a surprise that a regulation so superficially ridiculous can be traced back to crony corporate interests?
The push for this rule is a sign of Big Beef’s desperation. New innovations in meatless products have incumbents scared, such as the new Impossible Burger that supposedly tastes just like meat but doesn’t involve nearly the same level of carbon emissions or animal abuses. They should be: Meatless products can over time, hopefully, replace much of our reliance on old-school beef products and help us fight climate change and other forms of pollution.
The meat industry could innovate. They could find ways to lower prices, increase flavor, or reduce environmental impact or concerns about cruelty. But they’ve opted instead for the alternative: regulate.
