The decision by a leading fake meat company to change its name to include "beef" has riled the Australian red meat lobby.
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One of the world's biggest alternative protein companies, US-based Impossible Foods, has launched its products in Australia under the name "Impossible Beef Made From Plants".
Its core product is known as Impossible Burger in other markets.
The Red Meat Advisory Council has quickly slammed the name change.
RMAC chair John McKillop said the name change "was a disgraceful attempt to trade off the world-renowned brand and reputation of Australian beef".
Mr McKillop said the company's chief executive and founder Patrick Brown's stated mission was to eliminate livestock production.
He claimed the name change was a direct attack on Australia's 445,000 hard working graziers, livestock transporters, meat workers and butchers.
Impossible Foods has launched in Australia and New Zealand with its "flagship" product, Impossible Beef Made From Plants.
The company said the products were "now available on the menus of top chefs in Auckland, New Zealand, the greater Sydney area, and nationwide across Australia at Grill'd - Australia's leading national burger brand".
The company said its products "supports greater consumer choice for meat analogue products with a source of iron which may benefit consumers wanting to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diet."
"Our launches in Australia and New Zealand are another huge step towards bringing delicious, sustainable options to every market in the world," Impossible Foods president Dennis Woodside said.
"Both countries are home to some of the most devoted meat-eaters on earth, and we know consumers there are going to love Impossible Beef."
Impossible Foods said its products had the potential to be a part of Australia's ambitious goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
MORE READING: CSIRO grilled on fake meat support.
The red meat council's Mr McKillop claimed the brand and reputation of natural Australian beef, lamb and goat built over generations was now being denigrated by companies that are deliberately trying to use piggyback marketing to sell an inferior product.
"Consumers want the real deal. Ultra processed plant-based proteins manufactured overseas will never replace Australian red meat if our industry is able to compete on a level playing field," he said.
"If an Australian butcher sold beef rib eye as vegan tofu to make more money they would be heavily fined and potentially shut down. It is completely unacceptable that foreign companies backed by U.S. billionaires can freely label vegan products as beef without any penalty.
"Extremist statements from Impossible Foods' CEO and Founder Patrick Brown to end all livestock production by 2035, exposes a hard-line anti-farmer and anti-meat agenda that has no place in Australia.
"Animal proteins are nutrient-rich and provide the only natural source of vitamin B12, a deficiency of which is associated with developmental disorders, anaemia, poorer cognitive function, and lower motor skills development.
"Dangerous proposals to replace meat consumption with ultra processed vegan products would be disastrous for public health outcomes and the environment."
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