The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) is placed a full-page ad in The New York Times that puts the unappetizing ingredients of “plant-based meats” on display. As nearly 50% of consumers incorrectly believe plant-based proteins to be healthier than real meat, CCF believes it is important for the public to know what they’re eating.
“Plant-based meat” is ultra-processed. Many of these products boast dozens of ingredients. The National Institutes of Health found that ultra-processed foods can cause weight gain and overeating, which can contribute to a variety of health problems.
While fake meat companies are hoping to exploit stories about the need to reduce consumption of real meat, according to recent findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reducing red meat consumption has little to no effect in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, or stroke. In addition, even if all Americans were to stop consuming all products produced from animals U.S. greenhouse gas emissions would decrease by 2.6%.
This is the fourth ad in CCF’s effort to educate the public about “plant-based meat”. Previous ads on the subject have run in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Post. On the website CleanFoodFacts.com, you can find a tool for consumers to review the ingredients in a wide assortment of “plant-based meat” products.
The full-page ad can be found here.
CCF managing director Will Coggin commented: “‘Plant-based meat” is a factory-made, ultra-processed imitation, not a medley of vegetables. Despite what people who hawk the product may believe, fake meat is not healthier than real meat.”
