What Do You Call Fake Eggs?

A few years ago, the dairy industry took the plant-based milk industry (almond milk, etc.) to court over the use of the term “milk.” Here is what the dairy industry spokesperson said:

“You haven’t ‘got milk’ if it comes from a seed, nut, or bean,” said Jim Mulhern, the president of the National Milk Producers Federation. “In the many years since we first raised concerns about the misbranding of these products, we’ve seen an explosion of imitators attaching the word ‘milk’ to everything from hemp to peas to algae.”

Lawsuits have not been very effective at resolving the issue. Plant-based groups insist they should be able to use the term “milk” when selling their products, so long as they aren’t trying to pass off their products as being conventional milk.

Then came the controversy over the use of the word “rice” in the name “Cauliflower Rice.” The marketers behind cauliflower rice felt so strongly that they’ve argued it’s a freedom of speech issue, protected by the US constitution.

But topping the list is the chutzpah exhibited by Just Egg. You see, a product called “Just Egg” should be (wait for it) just eggs, right? Nope. Just Egg is a plant-based egg substitute.

https://www.ju.st/plant-based-eggs

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a plant-based diet if that is your preference. I just don’t like it when companies use misleading branding to sell their product. And in this case, I believe the name “Just Egg” crosses the line by suggesting their product is made from actual eggs.