NEW YORK (AP) — It's not vegan, it's "plant-based." So will carnivores bite?
As companies try to cater to Americans' interest in lighter eating, the term "plant-based" is replacing "vegan" and "vegetarian" on some foods. The worry is that the v-words might have unappetizing or polarizing associations.
Impossible Foods, which makes a meatless patty that's supposed to taste like meat, even warns restaurants not to use those words when describing its burger on menus.
The trendier sounding "plant-based" may appeal to a broader market, since "vegan" or "vegetarian" could alienate those who don't adhere strictly to those diets. "Plant-based" may also distance products from a perception of vegan and vegetarian food as bland.
But some may see it as just a new term for an old concept.
