Mississippi is forbidding grocery stores from calling veggie burgers "veggie burgers"

[demmiblue]

Proponents of the law say it’s necessary to avoid confusing consumers. That...doesn’t sound right.

It’s been a good few months for the plant-based meat movement — so good that opponents of the fledgling industry are starting to mobilize.

This week, a new law went into effect in Mississippi. The state now bans plant-based meat providers from using labels like “veggie burger” or “vegan hot dog” on their products. Such labels are potentially punishable with jail time. Words like “burger” and “hot dog” would be permitted only for products from slaughtered livestock. Proponents claim the law is necessary to avoid confusing consumers — but given that the phrase “veggie burger” hasn’t been especially confusing for consumers this whole time, it certainly seems more like an effort to keep alternatives to meat away from shoppers.

“The plant-based meat alternative category is on fire right now, with consumers demanding healthier and more sustainable options,” Michele Simon, the executive director of the Plant-Based Foods Association, said in a statement. “This law, along with similar laws in several other states, is the meat lobby’s response.”

The makers of meat alternatives are suing. In a lawsuit filed on July 2, they argue that since their products are already labeled “vegan,” no consumers are confused. If anything, the requirement that they avoid product descriptions like “veggie burger” makes things more confusing.

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/7/3/20680731/mississippi-veggie-burgers-illegal-meatless-meat

[PJMcK]

1. Only in Mississippi

Perhaps the Mississippi legislature knows that their education system is so poor that their citizens can't tell the difference between meat and vegetables.

Mississippi and Alabama are the two lowest states in education and economy. Yet this is how their politicians spend their legislative efforts!

Pathetic.

[demmiblue]

4. Not to mention the fact that their health ranking is consistently poor.

The last time they weren't ranked last, or second to last, was in 1998.

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/Overall/state/MS

A few more plant based meals would probably be a good idea.

[klook]

2. I assume "chicken salad" and "shrimp cocktail" are also illegal terms now.

[Blues Heron]

3. Your small government conseratives in action

of course they're neither. They're radical, orwellian creepazoids.

[lunasun]

5. Unhealthy fattest state *in the country say what?

*Mississippi and West Virginia have the distinction of tying for title of fattest state in the nation, with 35.1% obesity rate.

[Voltaire2]

6. The Supreme Court is likely to lean heavily into

states rights over federal regulations. The upside of that is that we will devolve into two geographic, cultural, and legal regions. Jesusland will be an unmitigated cesspool of authoritarian religious intolerance. But there is hope that the rest of us can move forward with the great project of building a compassionate tolerant democratic society.

[CrispyQ]

7. Didn't the dairy industry try this with almond "milk" and soy "milk" and lose? -nt

[gtar100]

8. Small government proponents reveal their hand.

Government for them is to protect markets, or more specifically, protect themselves.

How many breaths will they take before they say they're capitalists.

[mucifer]

9. Greed not stupidity. They want dead animal lobby money. nt