New member welcomed as PBFA fights restrictions to promote climate-friendly food
Quorn, the pioneer of plant-based meat substitutes, has today become a fully-paid up member of the UK Plant-based Food Alliance (PBFA) in a move that will strengthen the Alliance’s clout at Westminster.
“It’s fantastic to have such a strong player in the market like Quorn join us in our push for policies that promote plant-based eating in the UK,” Marisa Heath, PBFA CEO, said.
“There is so much the Government can do to encourage climate-friendly diets – in the form of trade, public procurement, research, marketing, as well as regulation – and we really need the big plant-based companies by our side as we negotiate our way there,” Heath said.
Quorn joins the Alliance, which includes ProVeg International and industry heavyweights such as Alpro, Oatly and Upfield, at a time when the labeling of plant-based foods is under threat of restrictions. New guidance, aimed at trading standards officials but, as yet, unpublished, looks to restrict dairy descriptor terms used by plant-based products, such as “m*lk” or “alternative to X” or “yoghurt-style”.
“We have been fighting the proposed guidance to restrict plant-based labeling for over a year now and we will continue to do so because we believe that the Government should be doing all it can to promote the sector rather than hinder it,” Heath said.
“The sector very much represents the future of food, producing far less greenhouse gas emissions than the meat and dairy sector, and maturing to provide a huge range of alternatives to conventional meat and dairy products,” Heath added.
Plant-based diets are also a key to global food security: researchers have found that growing food exclusively for direct human consumption, rather than as animal feed and for biofuel production, could potentially increase available food calories by as much as 70%, which could feed an additional 4 billion people.
Food security was the reason Quorn came into existence when Lord Rank recognized in the 1960s that conventional farming could not keep up with food shortages and a rapidly growing population and that a new, sustainable protein source was needed. Quorn was born out of research to find a solution to that problem.
“Quorn is such an excellent example of a company using the power of science to come up with sustainable solutions to global crises. We know that policy makers will take notice of what Quorn has to say as a member of the Alliance going forward,” Heath said.
Tess Kelly, Head of External Engagement, at Quorn Foods, said: “Quorn Foods shares the conviction that making positive change happen on our plates is a vital step to regenerating human and planetary health. We look forward to contributing to the work of the PbFA, and are proud to stand alongside fellow pioneering organizations that are at the forefront of providing the solutions needed to speed the transition to a food future that is healthy, sustainable, equitable, and absolutely delicious.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, or to become a member, contact the Alliance at: [email protected]
About the Plant-based Food Alliance
The Plant-based Food Alliance UK is a coalition of organizations including Oatly, Alpro, Upfield, The Vegan Society, Good Food Institute and ProVeg who have come together to create a strong voice for the plant-based food sector in the UK.
The Alliance represents food and drink producers, manufacturers, non-governmental organizations, retailers, nutritionists, academic bodies, and consumer organizations in influencing policy makers to develop legislation and Government positions that support the growth of plant-based foods.
Working with farmers and businesses through to retailers and consumers, the Alliance wants to deliver a healthier and more sustainable food system that sees a shift away from intensive farming.
