Double Standards and Faux Meat

Double Standards and Faux Meat

Beef production, and I suppose agriculture in general, has become a pretty contentious issue over the past several years. Most often, the criticism is directed at us while we try to defend ourselves in a graceful manner. It’s a tiresome existence, warding off unfounded and misplaced criticism, when all we really want to do is grow food and raise our families.

I’ve been thinking about the faux meat issue for a long time. I have mixed feelings about the emergence of these products in the marketplace, which has been happening over the past few years. So what follows are my honest, and somewhat scattered, thoughts about faux meat, alternative proteins and beef existing together.

First and foremost, we’ve got to stop criticizing alternative proteins for being processed. Pot, meet kettle. There is an abundance of processed foods that fit into a healthy diet, including processed beef. Hamburger, beef sausage, corned beef, beef jerky and all beef hotdogs, just to name a few, are all processed beef products. 

This attack is similar to the Food Babe’s crusade of lambasting any food ingredient that she couldn’t pronounce. I’m guessing she doesn’t drink caffeine (scientific name 1,3,7-Trimethylpurine-2,6-dione). In my opinion, the beef industry should take the high road and shouldn’t employ the same fear-based marketing tactics that we’ve been fighting for decades.

Along the same lines is the recent comparison of the Impossible Burger and/or Beyond Meat products to dog food. I’ve seen this statement made by many agriculture peers that I have a great amount of respect for and even though I mean no insult to them, I disagree with that messaging vein. 

Again, processed is not necessarily bad, and I think it’s pretty well-known how much care goes into pets and their food these days – pet owners are willing to spend a lot of hard-earned cash for extremely high-end pet food. Just tonight I saw a commercial for a meal delivery service for dogs. Additionally, humans could actually eat dog food with no ill effects for an extended period of time, if absolutely necessary. So how well does this argument really sway in our favor?

Lastly, and this one may get me thrown out of the beef business … continue reading
  next page

 

 

Latest News

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies
APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

The livestock industry continues to grapple with the first confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle, while federal and state agencies continue to assure consumers there's no concern about the safety of the U.S. milk supply.

AABP Creates 'Using Credentialed Veterinary Technicians  in Bovine Practice' Guidelines
AABP Creates 'Using Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Bovine Practice' Guidelines

Utilizing credentialed veterinary technicians (CVTs) in bovine practice can assist veterinarians in providing additional and efficient services to their large animal clients.

Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Now that the mystery illness impacting some dairy herds has been revealed as the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza that has been impacting the U.S. poultry flock, pork producers are asking questions.

New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows
New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.

"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years
"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years

Once a technology becomes a boring experience it means it has become proven, well-adopted, and easy to utilize. There are three "boring" technologies silently shaping the industry.

Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat
Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat and is not a food safety risk to humans.