The European Parliament has approved a call to stop using meat-related terms like burger and steak for plant-based products. 355 Members of the European Parliament want names like ‘veggie burger’ and ‘soy sausage’ to no longer be allowed; 247 voted against.
The MEPs who agreed believe that words like sausage and burger should only be used for products that contain meat. Plant-based alternatives should be called veggie tubes and soy slices, for example, to avoid confusion.
Opponents see the ban as a lobby by the meat industry. “Names like ‘veggie burgers’ are well known and will not confuse anyone,” said MEP Anja Hazekamp (PvdD).
The European Commission and the EU member states still have to consider the call. Previously, the use of dairy-related words such as ‘milk’ and ‘cheese’ was already prohibited for plant-based products.