A federal court has invalidated a Louisiana law that tried to ban the use of terms like “meat,” “burger” and “sausage” by marketers of plant-based meat analogue products.
The law was challenged by Tofurky, a maker of plant-based burgers, sausages, analogue chicken and other products, along with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and The Good Food Institute. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson ruled March 29 that the law, which went into effect in 2020, was an impermissible restriction on commercial speech. In particular, the law made no provision for the use of qualifying terms like “vegan” or “made with plants.”
Jackson granted the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, meaning that he thought the evidence was so overwhelming that there was no need for a trial.
Tofurky is a plaintiff in lawsuits seeking to overturn similar laws in Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas. A Louisiana official says the state is considering an appeal.
