Red meat demand plant-based protein labelling action

An “extremely frustrated” red meat council is still waiting for the government to deliver on reforms for plant-based protein ‘meat’ labelling.

The nation’s red meat sector is “extremely frustrated” at the Albanese government’s lack of progress towards an election promise to deliver “accurate and clear” truth in labelling reforms for fake meat products.

The Red Meat Advisory Council broadside comes after Agriculture Department deputy secretary Rosemary Dieninger told a recent Senate estimates hearing that consultations had opened in August to assess new voluntary labelling guidelines of plant-based dairy alternative products in Australia and New Zealand.

The guidelines, developed by representative group the Alternative Proteins Council, allow deliberately misspelt common dairy product descriptors such as ‘mylk’, to continue to be used, along with terms like creamy.

Red Meat Advisory Council independent chair John McKillop. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

They also request animal imagery take up no more than 15 per cent of the front of pack, including brand logos, when used.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt told the hearing “it would be fair to say” the government’s commitment to provide clearer labelling had not yet been finalised.

RMAC independent chair John McKillop said it was concerning that the guidelines endorsed the continued use of animal brands and imagery to sell alternative protein products.

“This is untenable. While we are not afraid of competition, it’s completely unacceptable that these companies can use piggyback marketing practices to trade on the good name of Australia’s red meat category brands to sell their products into the mainstream market,” he said.

The latest departmental consultations follow a Senate inquiry, which recommended in February 2022 that animal imagery be reserved for the genuine article. The department said in May it was working on a response to the inquiry report.

Nationals Senator Susan McDonald chaired the inquiry and said it found “Australians are keen to follow a commonsense solution” when it comes product packaging.

Queensland Nationals Senator Susan McDonald. Picture: Supplied

“Which is why they said you can absolutely use terms like steak, sausage or mince because they are things that have been used across food groups,” she said.

“But that it was not okay to say something is beef if it was made from plant protein.”

She also said the APC constitution “outlined that they wanted to end animal production”.

“Everybody should stick in their lanes. We have very clear consumer labelling guidelines on everything else,” she said.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt. Picture: Lukas Coch

A government spokeswoman said the Albanese Government was working with both plant-based and traditional protein industries to improve “existing food labelling regulations”.

”Consultation is currently underway. We want the right settings in place to ensure Australian products … enable export opportunities and deliver accurate and clear information,” she said.

A Food Frontier spokeswoman said in-house research showed “most” plant-based meat manufacturers “made it clear” on their packaging that they were plant-based and there was no evidence the labelling confused consumers.

“We’ve always maintained that the problem that the inquiry was trying to solve didn’t, and still doesn’t, exist,” she said.

“This matter has now been considered by government on at least four separate occasions — with the most consistent recommendation being either no action required, or at minimum introducing voluntary guidelines, which now exist through the council.”

She added that regulation would threaten the food industry’s global competitiveness.

APC were contacted for comment.