On a rainy September morning, a pair of cattle ranchers browsed the refrigerated meat cases at a Walmart Inc. store in Mandan, N.D., snapping cellphone photos of an unwelcome invader among the shrink-wrapped ground beef: Beyond Meat Inc. patties, made from pea protein and coconut oil.

After a separate check at a nearby local supermarket, the ranchers headed to the North Dakota Department of Health. They showed officials the photos and warned of food-safety risks from mixing plant burgers with the traditional beef kind.

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The impromptu inspection by the ranchers …. is just one front in a growing war against their plant-based rivals. Cattle ranchers and their

allies are pushing regulators to scrutinize alternative meat-makers, recruiting food scientists to test plant-based products for potential health risks, and ramping up countercampaigns to highlight beef’s nutritional benefits ….

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[S]ome beef producers see an existential threat in the growth of meat-alternative makers like Beyond and Impossible Foods Inc.

For a hint at the threat they face, they point to dairy farmers’ years-long losing battle against almond, soy and other imitation milks that have captured about 10% of sales, while consumption of traditional cows’ milk has declined.

Read full, original article: America’s Cattle Ranchers Are Fighting Back Against Fake Meat (Behind paywall)