The veggie burger under threat in the EU
The European Commission and European Parliament have proposed new rules that would ban “meaty” names for plant-based products. Project 1882 has responded with an open letter to the EU institutions and urge Swedish Members of the European Parliament to reject the proposals. Changes would slow down the transition to a plant-based society and impede the phase-out factory farming in Europe.
This summer, the European Commission proposed prohibiting the use of 29 meat-related terms for plant-based products, including “chicken,” “bacon,” and “beef.” If adopted, the term “meat” would be legally defined exclusively as “the edible parts of an animal”, making it illegal to use certain meat-related terms for plant-based food products. According to the Commission, the goal is to “enhance consumer transparency” and “preserve the cultural and historical significance of meat-related terminology”.
However, the proposal contradicts a ruling by the European Court of Justice, which determined that current legislation already provides sufficient clarity for consumers. This is supported by multiple surveys, including research from the European Consumer Organisation, showing that up to 80 % of consumers do not object to familiar terms such as “burger” or “sausage” for plant-based products when clearly labelled. On the contrary, introducing new terms could cause unnecessary confusion.
– We fully support protecting and informing consumers, but these proposals have nothing to do with consumer protection. A ban would be disastrous for animals, the climate, public health, and food security. It would also be detrimental to Europe’s growing plant-based food sector, forcing costly rebranding and slow adoption, says Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882.
An amendment proposal put forward by MEP Céline Imart in the European Parliament would extend the ban even further by including terms such as “burger” and “sausage”. The discussion is also expanding to plant-based alternatives to fish and further restrictions on dairy products, where there is already an EU ban on terms such as “milk” or “yoghurt”.
When similar proposals were up for debate in 2020, they were ultimately rejected by the European Parliament. The European Commission has also stated, on multiple occasions, that existing regulations are sufficient.
The current proposals will go to a plenary vote in the European Parliament on the 6th of October.
– The political winds in the EU have shifted, which these proposals are a reflection of. Their advocates want to slow the transition to a plant-based society and undermine the Agenda 2030 goals. Swedish EU representatives must show sound judgment and vote against the proposals, Benny Andersson concludes.
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