Can Cauliflower Be "Rice?" Some States Say No
Emily Moon, Pacific Standard
At least four states have passed or are considering measures to ban food companies from using the word "rice" unless the product is made of, well, rice. Louisiana's measure, which passed the state Senate last week, targets cauliflower rice in a bid to protect the state's rice industry (and its top agricultural export). USA Rice supports these measures, arguing that, since the grain has no national "standard of identity"—a Food and Drug Administration definition for foods—rice is vulnerable to attacks from its cauliflower competitors.