How big agriculture stifles its competition

Have you ever looked closely at a carton of oat milk and wondered why it wasn’t labelled as “milk,” but rather, “oat drink” or “oat beverage”? 

In Canada, the producers of plant-based milks are prohibited from using the word “milk” on their packaging due to federal regulations, which narrowly define milk as “the normal lacteal secretion” obtained “from the mammary gland of an animal.” This definition also prevents plant-based “cheese” and “butter” from being labelled as such. 

Despite growing consumer demand for plant-based alternatives (plant milks are now consumed at nearly the same rate as cow's milk in North America) and the fact that consumers can easily tell the difference between almond milk and cow’s milk, the interests of the powerful dairy industry lobby have thus far succeeded in maintaining these restrictions.

Now, in Canada, another category of products may be at risk: plant-based eggs. In July, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)―the government department responsible for regulating food, animals, and plants ― launched a public consultation about how egg products made from plants can be labelled. 

There are numerous issues with the CFIA’s proposed rules, but it boils down to this: those who sell plant-based products are burdened with navigating a vague and unfair set of rules, while those who sell animal-based products have considerable freedom to engage in deceptive and misleading marketing.

The proposed rules or “guidance” state that plant-based eggs can use words, images and packaging normally associated with egg products, “as long as the overall impression created is not false or misleading.” In other words, the label and package of a plant-based egg product can resemble those of chicken eggs, but not too closely, to avoid “confusing” consumers. As an example, the CFIA has suggested that a clear name for a product might be “soybean protein liquid egg product." Not exactly appetizing. 

Moreover, the CFIA proposal states that using an image of a farm on a product could be misleading, given that “the image of the farm could be interpreted as a farm where chickens were raised to produce the product.” The authors seem to overlook that the crops used to make the plant-based egg — such as heart-healthy soybeans — would have also come from a farm.

The core issue here is that the CFIA guidance is squarely based on shoring up the conventional egg industry, not clarifying confusion in the marketplace. If the latter were true, the conventional industry itself would be held to a high standard of disclosure, which it clearly is not — despite repeated calls from our organization over the past decade, for stricter regulation of chicken egg cartons.

In a survey of more than 1,000 Canadians earlier this year, researchers found the majority of consumers are being misled by labels on cartons of chicken eggs. While only seven per cent of Canadians believe accuracy of welfare labels on egg packaging is not important, just 11 per cent correctly understood the term “enriched colony” housing — the emerging norm for the egg industry that intensively crowds hens into small metal cages for their entire lives. 

Ironically, the conventional egg industry, which undoubtedly backs the proposed additional burdens on its economic competitors in the plant-based sector, is dragging its feet on basic animal welfare standards that millions of Canadians support. About 27 million hens are used in the Canadian egg industry each year and fewer than one in five  are given the freedom to move around. Hardly any more hens are raised in cage-free environments than was the case five years ago, despite the public and dozens of companies, including many of the largest restaurants and retailers in Canada, repeatedly urging the industry to do away with cages permanently. 

If federal scrutiny of egg packaging were to be applied fairly, requiring conventional egg cartons to be truthful to consumers, it would provide considerable social benefit. Egg cartons could be required to disclose information about how a producer treats animals, its use of antibiotics, its carbon footprint, and its contributions to the spread of diseases like avian influenza. 

The packaging could be required to show the inside of operations where hens are kept, or remind shoppers that eating half an egg per day is associated with significantly higher health risks: a six per cent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and an eight per cent higher risk of death.

Recognizing the welfare problems associated with conventional egg production ― from inhumane housing to cruel practices like mutilation and mass killing of male baby chicks ― consumers are more interested than ever in eggs made from plants. Plus, plant-based egg products are more environmentally sustainable, using significantly less water and land, and generating fewer CO2 emissions, while offering numerous health benefits. 

Many of these products also have less saturated fat and a similar amount of protein as chicken eggs and all have zero cholesterol. It’s truly a win-win-win.

As Canada’s Food Guide has emphasized since 2019, we should all consume more protein from plant-based sources. To make that easier, plant-based products have to be able to compete on a level playing field, which means they must be allowed to use names commonly associated with their animal-based counterparts. They must be able to use familiar, convenient packaging and appetizing descriptions and images, while also stating clearly that their products are made from plants, not animals. 

Plant-based products offer convenient, relatable and delicious replacements to the 61 per cent of Canadians who consume plant-based products, for ethical, environmental or health reasons.

Will we allow the interests of a few powerful industries to continue to dictate our food laws, or will plant-based foods finally be granted a fair chance at success? Time will tell. Concerned citizens have until October 28 to voice their opinions in the consultation. Our planet and the welfare of millions of animals depend on it.

Riana Topan is a senior campaign manager for farm animal welfare with Humane Society International/Canada, which together with its affiliates is one of the largest animal protection organizations in the world.