The European Parliament has voted 355–247 in favour of a proposal to ban “meat-related” names from being used on plant-based products. The decision means that familiar favourites like veggie burgers, soya steaks and vegan sausages may soon need renaming.
The move is intended to prevent “consumer confusion”, ensuring that terms traditionally linked to meat remain exclusive to animal-based foods. While livestock farmers welcome the decision, many in the plant-based community, and beyond, believe this ban is unnecessary and could even slow down progress toward a more sustainable food system.
“No one’s confusing plants with cows” Bernat Ananos from Heura Foods told us. “What’s confusing is regulating progress instead of pollution and negative impact. Let’s start labelling what truly matters, the emissions behind each product and how they align with WHO health guidelines. Consumers deserve to know so they can choose freely.”
“Since it doesn’t impact our home market, we haven’t lost any sleep planning any name changes”, said Mark Cuddigan, CEO of THIS™. “That said, our current packaging already does the talking. We use an approach that tells people exactly what the product is, while also making it clear it’s plant-based. Our product names include products like THIS™ Isn’t Chicken Thighs and THIS™ Isn’t Pork Sausages. It’s still a little unclear whether even that kind of phrasing will be OK under the proposed ban, but for now, it’s business as usual.”
Simon Colthorpe at the Vegetarian Butcher Collective (The Vegetarian Butcher and Vivera) said: “We are disappointed. Parliament has opted for a measure that is not based on facts or consumer interests. This legislation hinders the protein transition and puts a brake on innovation in the plant-based sector. Familiar names such as veggie burger and vegetarian sausage are clear and widely accepted. This decision is a step backwards.”
Indeed similar legislation failed to pass in 2020, and this reversal is disheartening for the meat free movement. However the growing popularity of plant-based eating across Europe – alongside forward-thinking food policies in countries such as Denmark and Switzerland – shows that the shift towards sustainable diets is only gaining momentum. To take effect, the proposal must also be approved by the European Commission and by the governments of all 27 EU member countries.
Whatever the foods end up being called, it’s clear that consumers are still hungry for change and ready to choose kinder, more sustainable meals for animals, people and planet.