Meat Industry-Backed Campaign Compares Plant Meat To Dog Food

A pr firm backed by meat producers has created a major marketing campaign slamming plant-based meat.

The Center for Consumer Freedom’s campaign – which has included opinion pieces and full-page ads in major outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today – blasts meat alternatives for being ‘highly processed’, even comparing it to dog food.

Among the material is an ad which asks readers to take a quiz titled ‘Veggie Burger or Dog Food?’, and an op-ed piece by the Center’s managing director Will Coggin which cites a recent study from the National Institutes of Health linking ultra-processed foods to weight gain. This study did not include plant-based meat, reports have noted.

‘Point of pride’

The campaign – which comes as the meat alternative market is predicted to become a $140 billion industry within 10 years – has been written off as ‘misleading and fear-mongering’ by Pat Brown, the CEO of Impossible Foods, creator of the Impossible Burger.

Speaking to The New York Times, Brown said it is a sign that Impossible Foods’ mission to encourage people to eat plant meat instead of animals is working.

“It’s a point of pride to have that organization come after us. It’s hard to imagine a stronger endorsement.”