Have you ever bitten into a sausage or a burger and wondered...well that doesn't taste like meat? It might very well not be meat at all but a quorn or soy replacement.
Over the last two decades the so-called 'veggie meat' industry has sprouted, offering vegetarians the chance to enjoy a...say...bangers and mash along with their carnivorous friends. Only, their sausages won't have any meat in them.
Now, it seems, some people have had enough of what they're calling "misleading and confusing marketing" by food producers.
One such clamorer is German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt, who's frankly had enough!
Railing against "vegan sausage" and "vegetarian schnitzel", Schmidt told the Bild that he didn't want anyone pretending that there was any real meat in these dishes.
Schmidt also spoke up for the nutritional value of meat and said that there is no reason it shouldn't be on school lunch menus.
Schmidt is not alone in Germany speaking out against veggie meats: the German Farmers Association and German Butchers Association have sought a ban on the terms "soy ham" and "soy steak".
According to a research paper by the Institute for the Study of Trade (IfH), vegetarian and vegan products in Germany brought in 454 million euros ($474 million) in 2015, and actually doubled in size between 2010 and 2015. In the same five-year span demand for meat products fell by almost 10%.
But the German Vegetarian Association isn't taking it lying down and sees no reason why a name used for an animal-based product can't be used for a vegetable-based product.
It's reported that the source of Schmidt's ire is the vegan currywurst (a spicy pork sausage dish), which inspired his tirade on food labeling.
Schmidt's spokesperson said that the minister had also approached the European Commission demanding that the rules applicable to the use of the words "milk" and "cheese" are also made applicable to meat.
His spokesperson stated that the minister was seeking "clarity and truth", adding that, transparency for consumers should be top priority when labeling products.
