Ban ‘camouflage’ terms for vegetarian and vegan food says Kilkenny farm leader

Welcoming reports that the EU Commission is under pressure to ban the use of dairy or meat terminology to promote or advertise vegetarian or synthetic foods, President of ICMSA, Kilkenny’s Denis Drennan, said that the employment of terms like ‘sausage’, ‘burger’ and ‘schnitzel’ in vegetarian or vegan foods was deliberate and cynical and must constitute a breach of any trade descriptions act as commonly understood.

Mr Drennan said that the ‘hijacking’ of traditional meat and dairy terms actually constituted an admission by the corporations involved that they were unable to convince consumers other than by such ‘camouflage’.

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“They want to use our terminology and the acceptance borne of centuries that those terms have amongst the general public to effectively ‘smuggle’ their own products past a sceptical public. That’s why they use terms like ‘sausage’ and ‘burger’ and ‘milk’ because they know that those terms already have a degree of acceptance and understanding that was earned – and hard earned – by the farmers who produced the dairy, beef and pork that went into those foods.

“The fact that they’re being allowed to ‘camouflage’ and take advantage of people’s understanding is wrong and will have to be addressed,” said Mr Drennan.