EU countries and lawmakers will wrangle Thursday over whether to give plant-based “sausages” and veggie “burgers” the chop, amid a push to restrict such labels to meat products.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many of Europe’s livestock farmers see plant-based foods that mimic meat products as potentially misleading for consumers, and a threat to their already troubled sector.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers at the European Parliament in October backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including burger and sausage for foods containing meat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The EU’s 27 member states will now look to hash out the initiative with negotiators from the parliament as part of a broad-ranging package of new measures to protect farmers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some countries seem reticent — and officials say it may need more rounds of negotiations to reach an agreement. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Food retailers in Germany, Europe’s largest market for plant-based alternative products, have spoken out against the move, along with environmentalists and consumer advocates.<\/p>\n
Among the high-profile opponents is also former Beatle and famed vegetarian Paul McCartney, who co-signed a letter to the EU’s executive arguing against the measure.<\/p>\n
“We urge you not to adopt these restrictions, as we are deeply concerned about the significant global impact they could have,” the letter said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The evidence is clear: existing legislation already protects consumers; consumers themselves overwhelmingly understand and support current naming conventions.”<\/p>\n
But livestock farmers argue the opposite, with French industry group Interbev saying it “confuses consumers and undermines recognition” in meat products. \u00a0<\/p>\n
EU consumption of plant-based alternatives to meat products has grown five-fold since 2011, according to data from BEUC, a consumer group.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Concerns over animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farms as well as health arguments have fuelled the boom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is not the first time there has been a push to beef up rules on the labelling of such products in the EU.<\/p>\n
The debate has stirred emotions in France, which passed a similar label ban in 2024 to appease angry farmers — only for it to be overturned the following January in line with a ruling by the EU’s top court.<\/p>\n
And a similar proposal was rejected by European lawmakers in 2020.<\/p>\n
The balance of power has since shifted, as the 2024 European elections saw big gains by right-wing parties that cultivate close ties to the farm sector.<\/p>\n
But even among those groups there is no clear consensus, with centre-right leader Manfred Weber insisting the proposal was “not a priority at all”.<\/p>\n
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