The National Chicken Council has formally asked the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set labeling guidelines for alternative chicken products. The NCC said allowing products that do not contain any poultry meat but are labeled as ‘chicken’ is both confusing to consumers and harmful to the poultry industry.
NCC also released a survey where one in five consumers had mistakenly purchased plant-based chicken products, believing it to be traditional chicken. Also in the survey, 81% of U.S. consumers want plant-based chicken to be more clearly labeled.
The chicken industry joins the meat and dairy industries who have also raised concerns recently about plant-based products labeling and have urged the FDA and USDA to apply stricter rules to the products.
Plant-based product labeling has become an important issue in Europe as well. As of October 1, the French government is prohibiting references as “meat” to meat substitute products such as steaks, hamburgers, sausages, or other “animal” products. Products manufactured or labelled before October 1 will be granted a reprieve and can be marketed through December 2023.
The French government is urging the European Union to follow their lead and to make this a labeling regulation for plant-based products throughout the EU.