The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to tighten its stance on what plant-based meat makers can put on their labels.
In comments filed May 9, the NCBA urged the agency to close loopholes that allow companies to slap terms like “meat” and “beef” on products that contain neither.
“Cattle farmers and ranchers have built beef’s name on hard work and trust,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman.
“Letting plant-based producers borrow that reputation with misleading labels or imagery? That’s not fair play.”
For years, plant-based “meats” have tried to win over shoppers with claims of sustainability and health—but sales have stumbled, in part due to concerns about over-processing.
Now, ranchers say some companies are resorting to visual smoke and mirrors: cow silhouettes, barnyard photos, and even pastoral ranch scenes on boxes of lab-formulated patties.
While the FDA’s draft guidance is nonbinding, the NCBA argues it’s too soft and allows room for consumer confusion. The group wants sharper boundaries—no livestock terms, no rural imagery, and no borrowing from the very industry these products aim to replace.
“If your product can’t stand on its own without riding on beef’s coattails, that says a lot,” Wehrbein added.
The FDA may release further guidance or propose rulemaking later this year. For now, ranchers are drawing their line in the sand—don’t call it beef unless it came from a cow.
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