Emily Wagster Pettus

Associated Press

This July 2, 2019, file photo shows a bag of 'meatless meatballs'. Mississippi is considering new rules that let companies continue to use food-labeling terms such as “veggie burger” and “vegan bacon,” as long as the terms are prominently displayed so consumers understand the products are not meat. The state agriculture department on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, proposed new regulations for plant-based products that are sold as alternatives to meat. The regulations came in response to a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization advocating plant-based foods and an Illinois food company. The lawsuit was filed on July 1, the same day the state enacted a law dictating that 'a plant-based or insect-based food product shall not be labeled as meat or a meat food product.'

MS: Veggie Burgers Must Be Clearly Labeled

A nonprofit organization that advocates plant-based foods and an Illinois food company sued Mississippi over a labeling law.

Vegan Bacon Sueing Mississippi

Meat producers have been pushing to protect meat terminology as more plant-based products are developed. Others are arguing against "meat label censorship."