Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

European Parliament Votes on Restricting Meat Names for Plant-Based Foods

Any ban would still require approval from the 27 EU governments.

Un hamburger végétalien présenté au salon international de l'industrie de la viande IFFA à Francfort, le 6 mai 2019 en Allemagne
Image

Overview

  • An amendment from MEP Céline Imart would reserve terms such as "steak," "sausage," "burger" and "escalope" for products that contain meat.
  • Lawmakers debated the measure in Strasbourg on Tuesday, and the outcome of Wednesday’s vote remains uncertain.
  • Supporters including the livestock group Interbev say the change protects product identity and avoids misleading shoppers, pointing to existing EU protections for dairy terms as a precedent.
  • Green MEPs and plant-based producers argue familiar names aid consumer understanding, while retailers Lidl and Aldi warn the change would hurt sales, particularly in Germany, Europe’s largest market for alternatives.
  • The effort follows a 2020 Parliament rejection of a similar curb and the annulment in January 2025 of France’s national ban, and if adopted at EU level the measure is not expected to take effect before early 2026 according to French reporting.