The proposal had drawn criticism in the run-up to the vote, and environmental, consumer and animal rights groups doubled down afterward.
Greenpeace’s EU agriculture policy director called it “just dumb,” arguing that “changing the name on the box won’t stop the shift of people’s dietary choices.”
Olga Kikou of Animal Advocacy & Food Transition said it would hurt farmers supplying plant-based ingredients and undermine consumers’ ability to choose sustainable diets: “Europe must ramp up plant-based consumption, yet here we are erecting barriers to precisely that shift.”
Clashes over food labeling have flared repeatedly in Brussels over recent years, with meat producers arguing that traditional terms should be protected while the plant-based sector insists shoppers aren’t confused. The EU already bans plant-based products from using dairy names like “milk” or “cheese,” a restriction upheld by the bloc’s top court in 2017.
Supporters of the ban hailed the outcome as a win for consumer clarity and recognition for livestock producers. But surveys show most shoppers don’t mistake terms like “veggie burger” for meat products.
Even within Imart’s own political family, the European People’s Party, there was pushback, with group leader Manfred Weber telling reporters on Tuesday that the ban was “not at all a priority” and that “consumers are not stupid when they go to the supermarket.”
