EU Parliament Votes To Ban Meaty Words On Plant-Based Food Labels

The European Parliament (EP) has voted to ban the use of meaty words like “burger,” “steak,” and “sausage” on plant-based food labels.

The 355-247 majority vote was welcomed by meat industry groups and Céline Imart of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), who proposed the initiative. However, the move has been criticized by Green MEPs, major supermarkets, and environmental groups.

“Plant-based foods are, and always will be, an essential part of EU agriculture, its economy and its growth,” said ProVeg CEO Jasmijn de Boo. “So today’s vote by the European Parliament to restrict the labelling of plant-based foods is disappointing.”

Proponents of the ban argued that using meaty words to describe plant-based products undermines livestock farmers’ livelihoods and the traditional meat industry. Some suggest that meaty descriptors may mislead consumers into purchasing alternatives by accident.

While consumer confusion has repeatedly been cited as a reason to ban or restrict the way that plant-based alternatives are marketed, research indicates that consumers are neither confused nor concerned by the issue. In fact, using familiar words like “sausage” or “burger” can help consumers shop, thereby making it easier for people to make informed decisions about what they buy and eat.

“While the world is burning, the EPP has nothing better to do this week than to involve us all in a debate about sausages and schnitzel,” said Anna Cavazzini of Germany’s Green Party, as reported by Deutsche Welle. She added that it is now “up to the Council and the German federal government to put an end to this nonsense, which confuses consumers, costs companies millions, and won’t help farmers.”

‘Consumers are not stupid’

Photo shows a package of meat-free mince, part of Lidl's private label plant-based food line — Adobe Stock Major supermarket chains including Aldi and Lidl, oppose the ban

Despite the vote in favor of a ban, the proposal still requires the backing of the European Commission and the government of each member country to become law. Similar legislation was unsuccessfully proposed in 2020. Even within the EEP, politicians’ opinions on the ban are mixed. EEP group leader Manfred Weber said the issue was not a priority for him, and added that “Consumers are not stupid.”

Earlier this year, the European Commission proposed a ban on 29 “meaty” terms that are commonly used in the marketing of plant-based products. The proposal argued that meat exclusively means “the edible parts of an animal,” and that such words should be protected.

There are already EU rules that prohibit dairy alternatives from including words like “yoghurt” or “milk” on labels, and brands such as Oatly instead describe their products as “oat drinks.”