Joe McNamee: There have been veggie sausages for almost as long as there’s been hippies

Anyone with an age in double digits still unable to differentiate between meat and meat alternatives requires protection under an entirely different sort of legislation.

Veggie discs? Let our taste buds do the talking

Today I pay tribute to the sterling efforts of a band of linguistically fastidious MEPs dedicated to clearing clear up confusion around food nomenclature on behalf of consumers of the 27 member states of Europe. Specifically, Centre Right French MEP Celine Imart’s initiative that led to the European Parliament Agriculture Committee to vote last September to ban the use of terms such as “burger”, “sausage” and “steak” for plant-based foods.

Imagine the shame and embarrassment of serving up coconut and two veg at a dinner party, blissfully unaware the ‘meat’ on the inside of the shell is not that of a mammal. Picture the mocking laughter and derision were you to attempt to atone with prime cauliflower steaks or succulent beef tomato. And who among us has not despaired at the lack of ham or any pork at all in a ‘hamburger’?