The National Farmers’ Federation, peak national body representing farmers and agriculture in Australia, has commended the establishment of a Commonwealth Senate Inquiry into alternative protein products labelling.
“We congratulate senator Susan McDonald on initiating this important and logical process,” National Farmers’ Federation CEO Tony Mahar said.
“The actions of some manufacturers in continuing to incorrectly label for example, faux meat products as ‘bacon’ featuring a pig or ‘chicken not chicken, is not only potentially misleading to consumers it is an insult to farmers and the extended meat supply chain.
“It is essential that when making their buying decisions, consumers are assured that the labelling of products before them is accurate. Non-meat products must not be permitted to masquerade as meat, we must ensure there is truth in labelling,” Mahar said.
Mahar said the National Farmers’ Federation welcomed the inquiry’s focus on the economic effects of non-animal protein marketing on Australia’s red meat industry, as well as the legality of using livestock imagery on non-meat products.
“The National Farmers’ Federation and our members look forward to engaging with the inquiry and to ultimately clearing up what has become a distressing and offensive situation for Australia’s hard working meat producers,” he said.