Brad Baker of North Orange Meats agrees with call for fake meat labelling ban

The Cattle Council of Australia has been lobbying the national regulator wanting the term "beef" restricted to products which actually contain beef.

"It's illegal to make use of someone else's trademark and the same should go for highly processed products that try to mimic beef," the council's chief executive Travis Tobin said.

The Red Meat Advisory Council has told the federal government the meat industry - cattle, sheep, goat and chicken - is united on the need to change labelling of plant-based products.

Owner or North Orange Meats, Brad Baker, believes "they shouldn't be able to say beef if it's not beef."

"As far as our point of view, all our labels have to have beef on it.

The cattle council has asked Food Standards Australia New Zealand, which investigates food labelling issues, to take charge.

Mr Tobin said beef producers welcomed competition and has no problem with people eating grains and vegetables "but we expect plant-based protein companies to be honest about what's in their products".

Likewise, Mr Baker realises that there are numerous reasons people would make the switch from meat.

"All meat is quite expensive at the moment," he said.

"So I suppose people are looking for other alternatives a couple nights in the week."

Australia has been wrestling with the issue since 2018.

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