George Monbiot

georgemonbiot.bsky.social

06 March 2026 23:49

6. But again and again, legislators seem determined to make idiots of themselves on behalf of powerful industries. They are meant to represent our interests, not those of the lobbyists, but that message seems to have got lost. Vote for those who represent the people, not the money. 6/6

George Monbiot

georgemonbiot.bsky.social

06 March 2026 23:49

5. Minced meat is meat, but mincemeat isn’t. Nor are sweetmeats, though sweetbreads are. Buffalo wings are an obvious attempt to mess with our heads. Shepherd’s pie, or so the printed ingredients claim, contains no shepherd. And don’t get me started on jelly babies. 5/6

George Monbiot

georgemonbiot.bsky.social

06 March 2026 23:49

4. If legislators are to insist on food literalism, they should at least be consistent. There's no dinosaur in turkey dinosaurs (and not much turkey). If a vegan hotdog is ruled out on the grounds that it contains no meat, the meat version should also be ruled out, as it contains no dog. 4/6

George Monbiot

georgemonbiot.bsky.social

06 March 2026 23:49

3. The industry knows that words are important. If Moses had been obliged by labelling laws to promise the Israelites a land of mammary secretions and insect vomit, I doubt many would have followed him into Canaan, though these are accurate descriptions of milk and honey. 3/6

George Monbiot

georgemonbiot.bsky.social

06 March 2026 23:48

2. It has *nothing* to do with improving clarity. There’s no evidence that people are confused by terms such as veggie burgers, meat-free sausages or oat milk. It’s a crudely protectionist measure designed to stamp out competition, by forcing plant-based companies to use offputting terms. 2/6