The Good Food Institute is calling unconstitutional a new Missouri law that makes it illegal to label plant-based and lab-grown products "meat."
The Good Food Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and plant-based meat company Tofurky are suing the state of Missouri to overturn the law, which went into effect on Aug. 28.
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.”
“It is completely understandable that conventional meat producers want the government to protect them from competition,” Good Food Institute spokesman Matt Ball told The Record.
“Poll after poll has shown that the public doesn't like how meat is currently produced," Ball said. "Researchers at Oklahoma State University found that 47% of respondents want to ban slaughterhouses. More than two-thirds were uncomfortable with the way animals are used in the food industry. This is why plant-based meat companies like Tofurky are unable to keep up with demand.”
Ball said it is unclear what long-term effects the law may have on the plant-based food industry.
“It is very difficult to know what will be the full impact of these attempts to criminalize speech,” he said. “In the short term, Tofurky received countless millions of dollars in free advertising around the world – publicity that you just can't buy.”
Along with plant-based meat products, the law targets the “clean meat” industry.
"There is so much excitement surrounding the development of clean meat–meat grown straight from a cell without having to raise a whole animal,” Ball said. “People want meat without factory farms or slaughter; the Good Food Institute's poll found that fully 40 percent will pay a premium for clean meat.”
“Ultimately, unconstitutional laws like this will fail, both in the courts and in the court of public opinion," he said. "Better forms of meat just have too many advantages.”