‘Piggybacking farming’s reputation’ - industry shouts down rip-off vegan ‘meat’

They also argued the move would be counter-productive to the Government’s environmental aims.

Quorn Foods technical director Geoff Bryant said they had ‘not had a single person complain they have been misled’ in the 30 years since the company was launched.

He said it was actively looking to mimic meat to help drive a conscious food choice towards plant-based alternatives.

Alan Clarke, chief executive of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), told a packed QMS breakfast meeting on the first morning of the Royal Highland Show (June 20) that vegan products were using meat-based terminology as it was simply more appealing to consumers.

“A vegan disc does not sound as good as a vegan burger,” said Mr Clarke. “They are piggybacking on farming’s reputation.”

It came as Sainsbury’s launched a pop-up meat-free ‘butchers’ in London, to celebrate World Meat Free Week (June 17 to 23).

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The retailer said it had seen a 24 per cent rise in the number of consumers actively searching for vegan products online, despite more than half of Britons having never tried what they would consider a ‘meat alternative’.