EU Lawmakers Push To Ban Plant-Based Food Terms (theguardian.com)
- Reference: 0179717546
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/10/08/2047253/eu-lawmakers-push-to-ban-plant-based-food-terms
- Source link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/08/veggie-burgers-off-menu-meps-vote-ban-plant-based-food-terms
> MEPs voted on Wednesday by 355 in favor to 247 against to reserve names such as "steak", "burger" and "sausage" [1]exclusively for products derived from meat , a longstanding demand of farm unions. In order to come into effect, the idea would have to be approved by a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain. The vote is a victory for the French centre-right MEP Celine Imart, who drafted the amendment to legislation intended to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain.
>
> Imart, who is also a cereals farmer in north-west France, said: "A steak, an escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock, not laboratory art nor plant products. There is a need for transparency and clarity for the consumer and recognition for the work of our farmers." She argues the proposal is in line with EU rules that already ban the use of terms such as " [2]milk" and "yoghurt " for non-dairy products.
>
> The European parliament rejected a ban on meaty names for plant-based products in 2020, but the 2024 elections shifted the parliament to the right, bringing in more lawmakers who seek close ties with farmers. Opposition was led by Green MEPs, who decried what they saw as a populist move to rename plant-based foods. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," Thomas Waitz, an Austrian Green MEP, said after the vote. "This tactic is a diversion and a pathetic smokescreen. No farmer will earn more money or secure their future with this ban."
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/08/veggie-burgers-off-menu-meps-vote-ban-plant-based-food-terms
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40274645
Language changes (Score:2)
They use the example of "burger" when arguing that words should only have their original meaning. However, if we want to make that argument, then "burger" is also incorrect. The word should only be "hamburger", and this should be reserved for food produced in Hamburg.
Sophistry (Score:2)
This kind of sophistry demands a sophomoric response. Call them a "better-burgers" then dump tons of cow manure on the homes of the idiots who voted for this because they are clearly more interested in bullshit than things that matter like slowing down climate change.
Arjen Lubach's take... (Score:2)
If you speak Dutch, you'll enjoy Arjen Lubach's [1]very funny take [youtube.com] on this. Even if you don't speak Dutch, the auto-translated subtitles are not too bad.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvxYg6YdEsc
steak, burger, and sausage are formats (Score:2)
Not feeling this one especially for steak, burger, and sausage. Those already have different ingredients and it's more about the shape, feel, and how you consume it than what exactly it's made of. Especially sausage.
In english i guess you can call a steak a "slab" or "block" ... and a burger you can go with patty.
But what the heck do you call ground stuff stuffed in a thin casing other than a sausage ? i guess they call them "links" sometimes for breakfast sausage.
I do get confused by non-dairy chees