The Merriam-Webster dictionary has some new additions, officially defining 370 new terms in the month of September 2022.
Added under the food category was the term ‘plant-based’, with two definitions.
Plant-based - adjective
1. made or derived from plants.
2. consisting primarily or entirely of food (such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, and beans) derived from plants.
According to Merriam-Webster, the first known use of ‘plant-based’ was in 1960, and the term has now been declared an official part of the English language.
Words used by many people, in the same way, over a long period of time become eligible for inclusion. The addition of ‘plant-based’ to the Merriam-Webster dictionary demonstrates the acceptance of this term into public discourse.
The definition could prove significant, as some in the dairy and agriculture industries have campaigned for plant-based milks and meat alternatives to be blocked from describing themselves using ‘milk’ or meat terms. Globally, companies have lobbied to limit the use of ‘milk’, ‘butter’, and ‘cheese’ to products made from animal mammary secretions and the use of ‘burger’ and 'sausage’’ to products derived from slaughtered animals, arguing use of the terms could confuse consumers even with appropriate qualifiers such as ‘plant-based’, ‘vegan’, or ‘meatless’.
Earlier this year, the French Conseil d’Etat suspended a ban on plant-based food manufacturers using meaty names for their alternative products, as the ban’s legality was doubted in court.
In Louisiana, US, vegan brand Tofurkey successfully halted the enforcement of a law that imposed fines of up to $500 a day for every marketing use of terms such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ on plant-based products.
Food is ever-evolving and language reflects how people describe the foods they eat. Solidifying the definition of ‘plant-based’ is an important step in giving evidence to the public’s use and understanding of the term, and proves just how popular plant-based foods are becoming.
