TikTok Can't Believe Anyone Would Think Grass-Fed Beef Is Vegan
Vegan foods are rapidly expanding in popularity. In fact, data from the Good Food Institute shows that the plant-based food market has increased in value to $7 billion, assisted by a 36% rise in sales. Even beef has a competitor in the form of vegan steaks — with one design mixing seaweed, peas, and beetroot juice to mimic the traditional cow meat (via The Guardian).
Despite this surge of interest in vegan food, perhaps the concept of swapping meat for produce not from animals is a little more confusing than it seems. That's the tone suggested by a viral TikTok video uploaded by user @amirhangry in February, anyway.
Having garnered more than 2.1 million TikTok views, the video shows a steamy steak being sliced to reveal its juicy, tender meat — but accompanying audio states that if cows are fed solely grass, this would make the meat vegan because "you are what you eat." Even though the clip's comments suggest the claim was intended as a joke, the apparent vegan slur is continuing to rile some TikTok viewers.
Not all TikTok viewers appreciate the cow meat joke
Failing to agree with the idea of grass-fed cows producing vegan meat, TikTok commentators have expressed their exasperation and embarrassment at the video. As well as replies criticizing the simplicity of the argument, one viewer notes that using the same logic would mean that strawberry milk could be considered vegan, while another adds that the same would apply to giraffe meat. However, many comments show their appreciation for the concept of vegan cow meat, praising its ingenuity and describing it as game-changing.
Some of the biggest concerns were centered on the appearance of the steak, with one TikTok user claiming it to be undercooked. A further comment suggests that the meat could still be revived, while another adds, "I can hear it moo-ing." One comment bluntly states, "You ain't chicken."
For anyone still confused about whether or not steak can be vegan just because cows eat grass, the U.K.'s National Health Service offers a simple conclusion — vegan food only consists of plants and does not contain meat of any kind.