NEW laws for the labelling of vegan foods, with the view to forbidding the use of words like beef and chicken and livestock imagery, have been recommended by a high-profile senate inquiry.
Reversing the food authority's allowance of plant proteins and non-dairy milks to use animal descriptors have also been recommended.
And the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission should act on the close placement in supermarkets of real beef and copycat plant-based proteins, the report handed down this afternoon by the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport legislation Committee Inquiry into meat definitions and other animal products said.
Further, the Australian Government should ensure this mandatory regulatory framework is applicable to cultured meat products, in preparation for the introduction of those products onto the Australian market.
The tough stand taken by senators has been applauded by the red meat industry as vindication of the long battle to stop vegan food makers 'piggybacking' on the reputation of Australian beef, lamb, chicken and dairy.
Retail food analysts say the recommendations will have major marketing implications for the plant protein and non-dairy 'milk' industries. Indeed as part of the inquiry some manufacturers of these products declared they would leave Australian shores should such laws ever been implemented.
For the past eight months, the committee has been taking written submissions and running public hearings, much of it well publicised given the huge consumer and farmer interest in the issue.
Many of the country's largest and most well-known beef producers, and most influential red meat advocacy bodies, spoke about the negative implications to their livelihood of vegan food companies appropriating animal descriptors and imagery on their packaging.
Big names in the plant protein business, such as Beyond Meat, V2Foods and Impossible Foods, also gave evidence, arguing they were part of Australia's meat industry and there was no case to answer.
The recommendations delivered today also say the ACCC should develop a National Information Standard that defines and restricts the use of meat category brands to animal protein products.
In the report's forward, committee chair Senator Susan McDonald said the perception of competition between the traditional category of meat protein and manufactured plant-based protein was not borne out in consumption or consumer trends.
"It appears that the two categories are growing in size in line with a growing hungry world, and it is in Australia's interests to be a part of the growth of both sectors," she said.
"While industry sectors will argue the relative benefits of one over another by nutrition, sustainability and environmental standards, the consumer is not benefited if the labelling does not clearly define which category the product belongs to.
"Consumers are increasingly well informed and educated as to ingredient and nutrition labelling, but the use of animal terms and imagery on plant-based products is not adding to the ease of busy consumers."
The Australian Greens have largely rejected the recommendations and included a dissenting report in which they questioned the validity of the inquiry as an appropriate use of public service time, resource and money.
The Greens noted that heavy-handed regulatory changes may have unintended consequences across the young plant-based sector and instead recommended a voluntary framework.
Their dissenting report also said: "We would like to acknowledge the genuine concern of many beef industry witnesses that they feel under siege, and that through this inquiry they are 'fighting back'."
Common sense
The Red Meat Advisory Council, which has led the battle against vegan food labels using such terms, called the recommendations a common-sense approach.
Chair John McKillop said it was unacceptable that highly processed plant-based protein made from imported ingredients were allowed to be labelled as Australian meat and it was clear the senate inquiry agreed.
He said it was a great outcome not only for the red meat and livestock sector, but also other traditional meat protein sectors including pork, chicken meat and seafood.
"The recommendations will go a long way in helping to restore truth in labelling for Australian consumers, while ensuring animal and manufactured plant-based protein industries can compete on a level playing field," Mr McKillop said
"By concluding that the current regulatory framework for the labelling of plant-based protein products is inadequate and decisive action is needed, the committee supports the protection of consumers, as well as the brand and reputation of traditional animal proteins like beef, lamb and goat.
"The committee has also put the debate on consumer confusion to bed, concluding that Australian families are being deceived by misleading labels and descriptions used by plant-based companies."
RMAC called on Food Standards Australia and New Zealand and the ACCC to implement the recommendations as quickly as possible.
Mr McKillop: "The practice of denigrating meat products through misleading advertising must be stopped."
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