Vallejo-born Joey Chestnut, arguably the most prolific competitive eating champion, won’t be allowed to compete in the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest because of a brand deal with a vegan meat company.

Major League Eating, the governing body in charge of the annual July Fourth competition, put out a statement on Tuesday lambasting Chestnut’s decision to prioritize “a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”

The organization said that it “went to great lengths to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.” But partnering with Impossible Foods, the company that recently launched “a beefy, juicy hot dog made from plants,” was a bridge too far. MLE cited “basic hot dog exclusivity provisions” as the basis for this decision.

The New York Post reported that Chestnut was offered a new contract worth $1.2 million over four years, which would be a $100,000 annual increase over what he made appearing in the Nathan’s competition.