Mislabelling vegetarian food rant

[caseys]

I'm not against veganism, vegetarianism, any sort of diet. Fill your boots. Eat whatever you want. I'll even try one of these fancy 'no-meat' plant protein burgers to show willing.

But why does the marketing world feel the need to label vegetarian/vegan food as things it's not?

For instance we're checking out this week the new no-meat burger at a local pub

https://www.nomeat.marstons.co.uk/

Marstons said:

MOVING MOUNTAINS™ B12 BURGER
All leaf no beef! The famous meat-like burger… made with plant protein, mushrooms, coconut oil and beetroot, herbs and spices. Topped with BBQ jackfruit and served with chips, sweet chilli coleslaw and onion rings.

Ok mostly fine with this. But why 'plant protein'? Can't you name the plant(s)? It's like saying I'll have a 'meat' curry please.

And as for a starter:

Marstons said:

BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER WINGS
Florets of cauliflower coated in a rich smoky BBQ batter served with balsamic mixed leaves and a kickin’ buffalo sauce.

Sorry, have cauliflowers now been reclassified as birds? Last time I checked they didn't have wings. Why not just soddin' call them like you do in the description? Cauliflower Florets! Would people like it if I tried to serve them Chicken Florets instead of wings and palm them off as vegetarian friendly? Yeah throw in superlatives such as Tasty, Delicious, Hot, Fresh, Quality - whatever - just stop raping the English language. Wings are things that make something fly.

Now I need to go somewhere and calm down or I'll start ranting about almond/soya/rice 'milk'. As last time I ate an almond I checked and they don't have mammary glands. Maybe I'll go apply for a job at the ASA so I can get medieval on marketing like this.

Anyone else have any (haha) beef about labelling food as something it's not?

[Jim the Sunderer]

At least they called it 'coleslaw' not that 'slaw' bks the wooden chopping board plate bellends say.

[skinnyman]

"vegetarian chicken nuggets"

Nope, not possible.

[Puggit]

I can understand the cauliflower wings, it's letting you know they cooked in a similar sauce and maybe with a similar method.

[Riley Blue]

Not just vegetarian - fish have fingers apparently.

[Cotty]

Puggit said:

I can understand the cauliflower wings, it's letting you know they cooked in a similar sauce and maybe with a similar method.

Why not just create a new cauliflower dish, why try and copy a meat dish. I don't see why so many vegetarian meals copy meat products, vegetarian sausages, vegetarian beef burgers etc

[ZedLeg]

Because some people don’t eat meat for ethical reasons. Just because you don’t like the cruelty or environmental damage caused by factory animal farming doesn’t stop you craving a junk food burger every now and again.

[Cotty]

ZedLeg are you saying they like eating meat but don't want to eat meat.

[ZedLeg]

In a way, a lot of people don’t want to be a part of a system that causes so much damage. Doesn’t mean they’ve never enjoyed a steak.

[Du1point8]

It will be plant protein as its a combination of some of the following?

mushrooms
carrot
broccoli florets
onion
black beans
Walnuts
garlic cloves
spinach
Rice.

So what do you want them to say it is?

Whilst we are at it, can we ban the use of sausage/meatballs/bacon/mince from vegetarian ingredients in supermarkets?

They are not any of them and use the meat alternative names for what reason?

Surely if you see a ball of vegies, its a veggie ball and not a meat-free meatball?

[DocJock]

My sister-in-law, brought up vegetarian by her veggie parents, insists on saying "you can't tell the difference" between whatever meat substitute she is using and the real thing.

One day I going to be impolite and ask how the fk would she know?

[glenrobbo]

caseys said:

Sorry, have cauliflowers now been reclassified as birds? Last time I checked they didn't have wings....just stop raping the English language. Wings are things that make something fly.

Now I need to go somewhere and calm down or I'll start ranting about almond/soya/rice 'milk'. As last time I ate an almond I checked and they don't have mammary glands. Maybe I'll go apply for a job at the ASA so I can get medieval on marketing like this.

Anyone else have any (haha) beef about labelling food as something it's not?

Good and tell that to the gentlemen sat in their wing chairs in the West wing.
Plus my car has a wing at each corner but can't really fly. ( Except when encountering a hump bridge at speed. )
And wing nuts are not designed to fly.

Also coconuts have contained milk ever since I can remember, but they have no mammary glands AFAIK.

[talksthetorque]

My missus ( pescatarian) and I tried these disgusting things:



Quite apt for the title of the thread I thought

[ZedLeg]

I like those burgers. I made enchiladas using the Linda McCartney shredded chicken over the weekend and it tasted like chicken so the name makes sense.

You guys might be overthinking this a bit .

[glenrobbo]

skinnyman said:

"vegetarian chicken nuggets"

Nope, not possible.

I'm sorry, you are wrong.
There are lots of chickens that don't eat meat.

Vegetarian chickens are usually Quorn-fed.

[HarryFlatters]

caseys said:

But why 'plant protein'?

To differentiate from animal based proteins like whey.

Du1point8 said:

Whilst we are at it, can we ban the use of sausage/meatballs/bacon/mince from vegetarian ingredients in supermarkets?

It's used as a descriptor, so people who choose to eat the veggie option can equate to something they're familiar with.

[Cotty]

Du1point8 said:

Whilst we are at it, can we ban the use of sausage/meatballs/bacon/mince from vegetarian ingredients in supermarkets?

They are not any of them and use the meat alternative names for what reason?

Surely if you see a ball of vegies, its a veggie ball and not a meat-free meatball?

Definitely

[captain_cynic]

Du1point8 said:

It will be plant protein as its a combination of some of the following?

mushrooms
carrot
broccoli florets
onion
black beans
Walnuts
garlic cloves
spinach
Rice.

So what do you want them to say it is?

How about what it is?

Stop trying to pass it off as "meat alternatives" or dress it up and masquerade it as a meat product (I.E. vegetarian meatballs... they should be plantballs).

There are plenty of good vegetarian recipes that do not call for a meat replacement... and even more that can openly replace the meat with a vegetable, fruit, grain or legume. If you're looking for vegetarian or vegan products which emulate meat, in appearance, name, texture or taste, you're admitting that abstaining from meat is fundamentally wrong.

[Du1point8]

HarryFlatters said:

Du1point8 said:

Whilst we are at it, can we ban the use of sausage/meatballs/bacon/mince from vegetarian ingredients in supermarkets?

It's used as a descriptor, so people who choose to eat the veggie option can equate to something they're familiar with.

If you have always been veggie, would it not just confuse them as they wouldnt know a sausage is, plus by definition a sausage is:

'An item of food in the form of a cylindrical length of minced pork or other meat encased in a skin, typically sold raw to be grilled or fried before eating.'
Or
'Minced and seasoned meat encased in a skin and cooked or preserved, sold mainly to be eaten cold in slices.'

As the veggie variety is neither of these definitions, why not call it veggie tube/cylinder as sausage by its definition is meat based, not the absence of meat.

[ZedLeg]

captain_cynic said:

There are plenty of good vegetarian recipes that do not call for a meat replacement... and even more that can openly replace the meat with a vegetable, fruit, grain or legume. If you're looking for vegetarian or vegan products which emulate meat, in appearance, name, texture or taste, you're admitting that abstaining from meat is fundamentally wrong.

What if someone lives up to your very important vegan standards for most of the week but just wants some nuggets and chips or a sausage roll to nurse their hangover?

Is it still a damning indictment on the lifestyle they've chosen that doesn't affect anyone else in any way?