Labor promised to overhaul labelling legislation and committed money towards this initiative in the 2024-2025 budget.

So what is the confusion around plant-based products and are Australians really being tricked?

Are Australians confused by fake meat?

A 2022 study by the University of Technology Sydney found only 4 per cent of Australians said they had inadvertently purchased meat-free products when instead wanting to buy meat products.

Research shows Australians can largely tell the difference between meat and meat-free products. Source: AAP / AP

The survey of over 1,000 people across Australia found those wanting to buy plant-based products are far more likely to buy a product in error than the other way around.

Livestock SA chair Gillian Fennell said meat producers have concerns about images of animals being used to promote non-animal products.

“I have accidentally bought plant-based things. You are in a rush. You’re not paying attention, you’re just looking at the imagery. But if that’s not the product you’re looking for, you will only make that mistake once.”

What is being promised this election?

The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries said it will also work with the Red Meat Advisory Council and the Alternative Protein Council, to facilitate the development of strengthened industry guidelines.

“Labor promised to support meat and plant industries and improve regulations but has completely dropped the ball.”

What do farmers want to see?

“We have an objection to large corporations taking advantage of our good reputation and using it to market a product as a meat — if their product is so great, then it should be able to stand on its own merits and not be a copy of ours.”