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Vegetarian Chicken Pieces

(103 Posts)
Esspee Tue 04-Jan-22 10:24:51

I have a flyer from a local supermarket promoting meat free January and was horrified to see “Vegetarian Chicken Pieces” advertised (£1.99 for 175g).
Is this allowed? Am I being unreasonable to feel that the manufacturers should be compelled to state something like “Chicken Substitute”
I can imagine people picking it up by mistake and not realising they were buying artificial meat made in a factory. Yuk!

vegansrock Tue 04-Jan-22 10:39:20

Chicken pieces are made in factories too.

Jillyjosie Tue 04-Jan-22 11:09:11

I can't resist saying that if we were still part of the EU, there would be legislation to cover this!!

As a lifelong vegetarian, this has been going on for years and it's now worse in pursuit of profits. It's just attempting to attract meat eaters who might want to flirt with being veggie. So much processed food these days and it's a free market after all, what our current masters are keen on! I feel quite savage with the irony!

Peasblossom Tue 04-Jan-22 11:24:56

It’s nice to hear that from a vegetarian *Jillyjosie”.

I’m not a vegetarian, I do eat meat but my preference is for non-meat based meals.

But not this awful processed muck. I readily confess that I’ve never understood why people want something that looks like fake
The processed stuff is neither healthy nor good for the planet and doesn’t even cover just finding meat distasteful.

You’re right, just pursuit of profit and “flirting”. The illusion of virtue?

Elizabeth27 Tue 04-Jan-22 11:37:52

I would not say yuk about plant-based food but would about a chicken factory.

They would not be displayed next to meat in a supermarket so do not think there would be confusion.

Germanshepherdsmum Tue 04-Jan-22 11:44:58

I would think that someone would have to be pretty stupid not to understand that ‘vegetarian chicken pieces’ aren’t made from meat.

MayBeMaw Tue 04-Jan-22 11:45:25

I agree- although I never see the point of “imitation” meat anyway. But better plant-based substitute than battery chicken. Let’s hope the bottom drops out of the market for cheap “plastic” chicken.
Why not enjoy veggies in the myriad ways they can be enjoyed for themselves? (Note to self, cauliflower cheese tonight)

MissAdventure Tue 04-Jan-22 11:50:05

I think they can be handy for families, children, people who don't cook from scratch, or who want to just try out a veggie option.
It's good that alternatives to meat are easily accessible to people now.

Germanshepherdsmum Tue 04-Jan-22 11:55:40

I think any alternative to battery chicken is a step in the right direction.

MissAdventure Tue 04-Jan-22 11:57:00

Me too.

aggie Tue 04-Jan-22 11:59:05

It depends what’s in the veggie version , chicken pieces aren’t generally the healthy option , padded out with junk , if the veggie ones were really the healthier option I wouldn’t mind , but I’m sure they aren’t

CleoPanda Tue 04-Jan-22 11:59:06

Oh, I can’t bear something that pretends to look and taste like meat! I want to eat less meat, but I don’t want substitute meat, I want tasty non meat alternatives that look nothing like meat!

Peasblossom Tue 04-Jan-22 12:01:22

Beans on toast is more nutritious than fake chicken, just as quick and cheaper too?

MissAdventure Tue 04-Jan-22 12:01:46

Richmond veggie sausages are very nice. smile
It means I can cook a dinner for both of us easily, too.

Grannygingey Tue 04-Jan-22 12:03:17

On the flip side my DH is vegetarian on moral grounds - he like meat and likes animals and the animals win. These meat substitutes work very well for him - as with anything as part of a balanced diet but they are not all junk food some are a good source of protein - and EU labelling wouldn't have amde any difference....

Esspee Tue 04-Jan-22 14:22:12

Personally we often have meat free meals but never artificial meat. Why can't those who don't wish to eat meat settle for natural foods such as fruit, veg. cereals etc.?

MissAdventure Tue 04-Jan-22 14:22:59

Because they don't want to.

SueDonim Tue 04-Jan-22 14:26:08

We have meat-free meals quite often but I never use substitute meat. I once tried Linda Macartney sausages and subsequently spent the evening in the loo. ? I can’t tolerate soya, either, so that rules out lots of things.

Both my dil’s are vegetarian but they never eat substitutes, either, yet they still have lovely meals.

Each to their own, though!

Alegrias1 Tue 04-Jan-22 14:29:02

I don't think these things are artificial meat, I think they are soya based.

So textured soya protein masquerading as chicken. Whatever floats your boat, I suppose. This vegetarian wouldn't touch it with a barge pole grin

vegansrock Tue 04-Jan-22 14:32:23

Some of those chicken products such as nuggets or pieces are reconstituted meat all bashed into shape in a factory, produced by electrocuting chickens who are only weeks old, raised in semi darkness squashed together with no room to move, crippled or having their wings cut to make room for more birds. I don’t like fake meat but would rather have it than the real thing.

BlueBelle Tue 04-Jan-22 14:36:33

I love Quorn which I suppose you would class as false meat not sure how they could process it unless it looked like
something ???
I don’t have any problem with cheese and onion burgers can’t see why that’s considered fake meat a burger is fake anyway same as sausages with a small amoun5 of meat and lots of padding about as fake as you can get !!
Why not substitute the small amount of pork or beef plus plus plus all the fillings stuff with quorn or something similar
I don’t get all the anti around it. It all sounds a bit snobby to me.

Lincslass Tue 04-Jan-22 14:39:46

Would rather just eat vegetables and local meat from butcher, than factory or laboratory grown rubbish, full of salt and other nasties. Cannot understand why people who hate eating meat, want something to taste like it.

MissAdventure Tue 04-Jan-22 14:40:02

Me too.
I guess you have to the the right type of vegetarian these days.

Alegrias1 Tue 04-Jan-22 14:45:07

I've been veggie for 30 years and have only eaten the "pretend meat" stuff at my MILs because she couldn't conceive of a meal without meat.

But hey, everyone needs to eat what they want. Its a free country.

I'd sell my soul for a real bacon sandwich...or a Scotch pie from the chipper wink

MissAdventure Tue 04-Jan-22 14:47:29

A bacon sandwich was my downfall years ago when I was veggie.
Now I eat a substitute instead, if the urge takes me.