Meat or 'Meat'? Food Manufacturers Challenge New Missouri Law

Missouri has become the first state to regulate what qualifies as 'meat' after a new law hit the books on Monday. Food manufacturers are now prohibited from calling their products 'meat' if it contains anything other than animal flesh.

The Missouri Cattlemen's Association, who worked on getting the law passed, said shoppers can get confused when they see the word 'meat' on plant-based or lab-grown meat products. Lab-grown meat is made up of cultured animal tissue cells, while plant-based meat is generally made from ingredients like soy, tempeh and seitan. 

"The big issue was marketing with integrity and ... consumers knowing what they’re getting," Missouri Cattlemen’s Association spokesman Mike Deering said. "There's so much unknown about this."

The new law prohibits food manufacturers from "misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry." People who violate the new Missouri law can face fines of $1,000 and up to 1 year in prison. 

But, the plant-based meat industry isn't going down without a fight. The company that makes Tofurky, a vegetarian and vegan replacement for meats, filed an injunction on Monday in Missouri federal court to prevent enforcement of the statute. Tofurky claims the state has not received any complaints about people being confused over the term "plant-based meats" and that preventing them from using the word 'meat', is a violation of their First Amendment rights.

The company pointed out that the word 'meat' is used to also describe the edible parts of nuts and fruit. According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the new law prevents the company from sharing truthful information and impedes competition. "The marketing and packaging of plant-based products reveals that plant-based food producers do not mislead consumers but instead distinguish their products from conventional meat products," the lawsuit states. 

"I have always envisioned Tofurky serving a greater purpose beyond the plate, acting as an engine for global change," said Tofurky CEO Jaime Athos in a statement. "Using our privately-held position to extinguish threats to legal definitions of terms like “meat,” is one way we can further our mission to help reduce global dependence on animal agriculture; therefore, improving environmental sustainability, animal welfare and human health."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in June that they would begin regulating lab-grown meat as traditional animal proteins fall under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's jurisdiction. 

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