Unfounded Claims About Vegan Terminology: Debunking Misconceptions

Often, discussions about veganism and plant-based diets are met with various misconceptions and outright misinformation. One such myth is the claim that vegans call plants "meat." This article aims to clear up this misconception and explore the realities of vegan marketing and terminology.

Why Companies Market Vegan Foods as Meat?

It's important to note that it is companies, not individual vegans, who are responsible for naming their products. In fact, there is no evidence that vegans commonly refer to plants as "meat." The term "vegan" refers to a lifestyle and dietary choice that excludes all animal products, including meat. However, companies do use meat-like names for their vegan products to appeal to consumers familiar with meat.

For example, the "Impossible Burger" is a much better name choice than "Soy Protein Concentrate Patty" because it immediately evokes the idea of a burger. This marketing approach is effective in referring to the texture and taste of the plant-based product, not its actual composition. Similarly, "Just Egg" makes it clear that the product is a substitute for eggs, whereas "Oil with Mung Bean Protein Isolate" sounds confusing and unappealing to most consumers.

A Historical Context

While it is true that the word "meat" has its roots in Middle English and was used to refer to any kind of food, this historical context does not justify contemporary misunderstandings. Words evolve over time, and "meat" now specifically refers to flesh from animals. Here is an example from the King James Version of the Bible (Genesis 29), where "meat" is used to refer to any food:

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed to you it shall be for meat.

The plant-based "meats" we see today are an example of this linguistic evolution being applied to marketing. Terms like "vegan bacon," "vegan sausage," and "vegan ham" are simply descriptions of the taste and texture rather than the ingredients.

Marketing and Consumer Understanding

From a marketing perspective, these names are effective. They allow consumers to quickly understand and relate to the product. For instance, terms like "Just Egg" help vegans and non-vegans alike understand how the product can be used in recipes. In contrast, more technical names like "Oil with Mung Bean Protein Isolate" would be far less recognizable and appealing to consumers.

Conclusion

Overall, the confusion over whether vegans call plants "meat" is simply a misunderstanding. The reality is that vegans do not refer to plants as meat. Instead, companies use meat-like names for plant-based products to make them more relatable and marketable to consumers who are accustomed to meat products. This practice serves the purpose of marketing and consumer understanding, rather than any attempt to mislead: