A coalition for the cattle industry, Center for Consumer Freedom, took full-page ads in U.S. newspapers to let consumers know that plant-based meat substitutes are ultra-processed. Hoping to stem the tidal wave of excitement for eating plant-based meat substitutes, the ad screamed, “What’s hiding in your plant-based meat?”
Over the years, the phrase “processed food” has become a negative descriptor. For example, Velveeta is a branded processed cheese product that tastes like American cheese. According to the FDA, Velveeta cannot be called cheese: its real name is “pasteurized prepared cheese product,” a term for which the FDA does not maintain a standard of identity.
The days when processed food products like Velveeta could pass as real are long gone. Kraft Heinz, Campbell’s and othe...
