EU clamps down on use of meat terms to describe vegetarian produce

The EU has voted to ban the use of terms like steak and burger to describe plant-based foods. Photo by Chris McCullough
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Livestock farmers in the European Union have welcomed a new ruling that bans the use of meat terms such as burger or steak to describe plant-based foods.

In the latest ruling in the European Parliament, MEPs voted 355 to 247 in favor of banning the terms, which livestock farmers say hurts their businesses.

However, this is just the first stage of the process, as the proposal requires the backing of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, as well as the 27 member countries, in order to become law.

It would mean names of foods like “veggie burger” or “tofu steak” could not be used for plant-based products.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz fully backed the ban, and said: “A sausage is a sausage. Sausage is not vegan.”

CONFUSING AND MISLEADING

Clever marketing of plant-based foods has targeted terms normally used to describe meat products for many years, and has often confused or mislead consumers into what the actual product is.

While there are many consumers worldwide who prefer this alternative diet, quite a few companies set up to produce plant-based products have gone out of business.

French MEP Celine Imart, said, “Let’s call a spade a spade. It’s everyone’s right to eat alternative proteins, made from plants, laboratories, tofu or insect flour. But calling it ‘meat’ is misleading for the consumer.”

In the past the EU has already ruled on other products whose names were “stolen” from their original definitions. This includes products like milk, yogurt and cheese. The EU has already ruled oat milk is now called oat drink.

Irish beef farmer, Tony Meehan, said, “I have no problem with those folk who want to eat plants for their dinner, but why should the companies steal our meat terms to make their vegan foods more appealing?

“We all know what a burger and a steak are. They contain meat, and that’s the way it always should be. Lets the vegans dream up their own names for their nutrition,” he said.

However, environmentalists have said that the ban would be a setback for sustainability.

Irina Popescu, food policy officer at the pan-European consumer body BEUC, was disappointed with the vote.

She said, “Our data shows that almost 70 percent of European consumers understand these names as long as products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian.”