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More than 160,000 people have signed a petition urging the European Parliament to vote against the so-called ‘veggie burger ban’.
Under the proposals, plant-based producers could no longer use words like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’, for their products. Instead, they would have names likes veggie discs or tubes.
The amendment would also be ban producers from using descriptive terms like ‘yogurt-style’ and ‘cheese alternative’ on vegetarian and vegan products. Proponents of the amendments say they are intended to avoid consumer confusion.
Vote
Food advocacy organization ProVeg International has launched a petition opposing the proposed ban ahead of the vote on October 20.
More than 160,000 have signed the petition (at the time of writing) which will be delivered to MEPs before the vote.
The petition calls on potential signatories to ‘tell the European Parliament not to accept the proposed veggie burger ban’.
‘Not confused by veggie burgers’
Jasmijn de Boo, Vice President of ProVeg International, said: “To suggest that consumers are confused by the contents of a veggie burger is clearly nonsense.
“Just as we all know full well that there is no butter in peanut butter and no cream in coconut cream, consumers know exactly what they’re getting when they purchase veggie burgers or veggie sausages.
“Over [160,000] people have signed our petition to say they agree with us. We just hope that common sense prevails on Tuesday.”
European Green Deal
She added: “The proposals are in direct contradiction of the EU’s stated objectives in the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy to create healthier and more sustainable food systems.
“The Farm to Fork Strategy explicitly states the need to empower consumers ‘to choose sustainable food’ and to make ‘it easier to choose healthy and sustainable diets’.
“If the amendments are passed, it will hit manufacturers, retailers, and food-service outlets hard financially…this poses a significant financial and practical challenge, especially for international brands.”
You can find out more about ProVeg’s petition here
