Tofurky wins in court
Good news – more lawsuits are rolling back unconstitutional labelling bans on using meat-based terms. Last month, a federal court ruled that an Arkansas law that had banned makers of meat alternatives such as Tofurky from using commonly understood words to describe their products was unconstitutional. The law prohibited the labeling of any food product as ‘meat’ unless that food product was derived from livestock, and it banned such terms as ‘veggie sausage’ and ‘veggie burger’ from food labeling in Arkansas.
The Arkansas law, U.S. District Court Judge Kristine Baker explained in her ruling, unconstitutionally barred Tofurky from “convey[ing] meaningful, helpful information to consumers about the products they are purchasing, and Tofurky’s repeated indications that the food products contained in these packages contain no animal-based meat dispel consumer confusion.” In other words, no one is confused about whether Tofurky is turkey!
We’ve seen the same kind of thing in other states and other products but the meat, dairy and egg alternatives seem to be prevailing. Last year, a lawsuit filed by Upton’s Naturals forced Mississippi’s agriculture department, which had issued similar rules, to backtrack and amend the rules.
Is the meat industry getting nervous? They should be. The sales of meat and dairy substitutes have been soaring, hence the clamor to adopt rules against using some words to describe meat alternatives. Supporters of such laws typically claim they want to help consumers avoid confusion. However, research and commonsense suggest consumers aren’t confused by terms such as “veggie burger” or the like. Worse, linguistic bans generally prohibit accurate and honest labeling even if—as the federal court in Arkansas found was the case with Tofurky’s labeling—”the product [in question] also states on the label that it’s 100% vegan, plant-based or meatless.”
How can a plant have blood? That sounds impossible! Well, not exactly. The folks, at the appropriately named Impossible Foods, have invented a burger that actually bleeds just like a real burger with just one exception. While this blood didn’t come from an animal, many will think it could have. The company created a totally vegan burger that “bleeds” just like a real, juicy, half-pounder does, and now the Food and Drug Administration has decided that it’s totally, 100% safe.
Meanwhile, those interested in whole plant foods got a big boost from the UN. The General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Pulses are legumes such as beans, peas and lentils. The UN states that pulses are “an affordable alternative to more expensive animal-based protein, pulses are ideal for improving diets.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon went on to say in an inaugural celebration that “pulses contribute significantly in addressing hunger, food security, malnutrition, environmental challenges and human health, and also are a vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids.”
Here in Washington, the veg restaurant scene is going strong. We’re happy to announce another new vegan restaurant, Harvest Beat. The restaurant will feature one seating a night for a five-course, $50, vegan set menu that will change regularly to “respect food of the moment.” The owners, Jan and Aaron Geibel say, “here at Harvest Beat we are gathering “the goodness” to help create a healthy world.” The restaurant has room for up to 60 diners, an open kitchen, and a patio in the back. The restaurant is located at 1711 N 45th Seattle 98103 tel. 206 547-1348. We’re sure this new restaurant will be a big hit!