The Debate Over Plant-Based Food Labeling in the European Union
The European Union has long been engaged in a heated debate over how to label and market plant-based foods. As these products gain popularity, questions remain about whether they should be allowed to use traditional meat-related terms like “hamburger,” “sausage,” or “steak.” This issue is not just about language—it’s also about consumer clarity, transparency, and the recognition of agricultural traditions.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament took a decisive step by ruling that terms such as “hamburger,” “sausage,” “escalope,” or “steak” can only be used for meat products. This decision aims to ensure that consumers are not misled when purchasing food items. French MEP Céline Imart (EPP), who was responsible for the file in the Parliament, emphasized during the plenary discussion that these terms are deeply tied to livestock farming and should not be used for plant-based alternatives.
Consumer Transparency and Farmer Recognition
Imart argued that the debate is also about transparency and clarity for consumers, as well as recognizing the work of livestock farmers. She stated, “I accept that steak, cutlet or sausage are products from our livestock farms. Full stop. No laboratory substitutes, no plant-based products.”
This decision comes after years of discussions within the EU. Currently, legislation allows plant-based products to use meat-related terms, provided the packaging clearly indicates that the product is made entirely from plants. However, the European Commission proposed changes in July to update the Common Market Organisation (CMO) rules, stating that “meat” refers exclusively to the edible parts of an animal, and “meat products” are derived solely from meat.
Banning Meat-Related Terms
The proposal introduced a list of 29 banned terms for vegetarian or vegan products, including: beef, chicken, bacon, ribs, wings, and breast. In 2020, the European Parliament had attempted similar reforms during discussions on EU agricultural subsidies, but the proposal did not pass due to strong opposition.
One of the main arguments against the ban is that it could confuse consumers. A 2020 survey by the European Consumer Organisation BEUC found that around 70% of consumers are not concerned about the naming of veggie “burgers” or “sausages” if the products are clearly labeled as vegetarian or vegan.
Consumer Intelligence and Packaging Clarity
“Irrespective of what you call it, if it’s called a vegan burger, then everyone knows it’s not going to contain meat,” said Austrian MEP Thomas Weitz (The Greens) during the heated debate. He criticized the notion that consumers need to be protected from their own intelligence.
Irina Popescu, food policy officer at BEUC, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that policymakers should focus on making packaging clear and understandable with trustworthy labels.
Legal Precedents and Industry Concerns
Four hundred organizations have signed an open letter calling for the withdrawal of the ban on 29 meat-related terms for plant-based products. The letter urges the EU to uphold legal precedents that safeguard transparent, consumer-friendly labeling and support innovation and sustainability.
The legal precedent referred to in the letter is a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year, which held that EU member states cannot prevent food manufacturers from using labels traditionally associated with meat on vegetarian foods, as long as the labels clearly describe what the products contain.
However, a comparable legal issue arose in 2017 when the EU’s top court addressed the use of dairy-related terms for plant-based products such as soy and oat drinks. In that case, the ECJ ruled that only products containing actual dairy could use terms such as milk, butter, or yoghurt, resulting in plant-based alternatives being labeled as “drinks” on European shelves.
Ongoing Challenges and Future Steps
The Parliament’s text must still be negotiated by all member states in the European Council, where it is expected to face significant division. The issue is also being debated domestically in several countries, highlighting the complexity of balancing consumer needs, industry interests, and agricultural traditions.
