On May 8, 2025, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association submitted comments to the US Food and Drug Administration, urging the agency to toughen up guidance for misleading labels on plant-based protein products.

“Cattle farmers and ranchers work hard every day to raise wholesome, high-quality, and nutritious real beef. We’ve spent decades building a strong reputation with consumers and we will not give up on that without a fight. Companies selling fake meat should not be allowed to use misleading advertising or trade on beef’s good name,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “If you’re manufacturing products to replace beef that contain no real beef, you should not be using terms that are specific to livestock, especially legally defined terms like ‘meat.’

“Likewise, you should not be permitted to utilize pictures of cattle, real beef, or farmers and ranchers in your labeling,” said Wehrbein. “The federal government’s draft guidance for the fake meat industry has not gone far enough to prevent companies from attempting to trick the public into buying fake meat products.”

NCBA’s comments urge FDA to address misleading advertising on plant-based protein products. Additional guidance or rulemaking actions may follow in the coming months.

“If you have to hide behind the work of America’s livestock producers to sell your product, that says all you need to know about these inferior imitations,” Wehrbein said.

Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association