Missouri has become the first state to outlaw certain uses of the word “meat,” thanks to legislation supported by the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.
The law, which prohibits labeling any foods except flesh from slaughtered animals as “meat,” was signed June 1 by then-governor Eric Greitens, according to USA Today. The law took effect on Aug. 28.
“The law is creating uncertainty and stifling speech,” Alene Anello, Litigation Fellow for the Animal Legal Defense Fund told The Record.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Good Food Institute, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and plant-based meat company Tofurky are suing the state of Missouri.
“This law is not going to last because it’s unconstitutional, and we’re challenging it as a violation of the first amendment, something called the Dormant Commerce Clause and the Due Process Clause, so I feel confident the court is going to recognize this law is unconstitutional and strike it down,” Anello said.
According to the lawsuit, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association proposed the language of the statute, which prohibits “misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry.”
“The state, when it passed this law, had no evidence at all of consumer confusion, and that’s because there is none,” Anello said.
In addition to the plant-based foods market, the statute is also aimed at lab-created “clean” meats grown from animal cells.
“These days, more and more Americans are enjoying hearty, filling, plant-based meals, and people are starting to get excited about the future in which producers will be able to make meat out of real animal muscle but without needing an animal,” Anello said.
“So, in one sense it’s expected that certain people entrenched in the establishment arm of the meat industry would begin to feel threatened by all this progress. That is why this law was created, as an attempt to lash out against these new foods that are so exciting and that consumers want.
“On the other hand, it’s also true that more and more traditional meat companies like Tyson and Cargill are starting to invest in plant-based and clean meat,” she said, “so from that point of view, it’s sad that anyone would try to crack down on these new industries rather than try to get involved in giving consumers what they want.”
Anello said that consumers of plant-based meats are familiar with terms like “veggie burger,” and gladly pay more for products that do not contain animal products.
“Consumers who choose vegetarian foods do it because they want something that tastes good but they might be concerned about eating meat for religious reasons, for environmental reasons, for animal welfare reasons, or for health reasons, and, in fact, people often pay a premium for vegetarian versions of traditional meat meals like vegetarian chicken or soy-rizo,” she said.
“We’re trying to make sure consumers can find and buy the foods that they want, and producers like our client, Tofurky, have regularly delivered delicious foods in a way that is truthful and accurate and the way that they’ve been labeling the foods for decades,” Anello said.