EU bites into labels: Parliament moves to reserve “burger” and “sausage” for real meat

Veggie burgers and tofu sausages could soon need new names across the EU. Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted to reserve words like “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” for products made from animals, a win for farm lobbies that have pushed for years to ring-fence meat terms. It’s not law yet — the Council and the European Commission still have their say — but the signal from Strasbourg is clear.

Backers frame the change as simple truth-in-advertising.

“Words have meaning,” said French MEP and farmer Céline Imart, who led the charge. “A steak is meat. Period.”

She and supporters argue shoppers could be misled when plant-based patties share the same vocabulary as cuts from livestock.

Plant-based producers and retailers call that argument overcooked. Germany’s Rügenwalder Mühle, a household name that now sells a large range of meat alternatives, says packaging already makes contents obvious — and that a forced rebrand would cost millions. Aldi Süd, Lidl, Burger King and Beyond Meat signed an open letter urging Brussels not to meddle with familiar names they say help shoppers make informed choices.

Consumer groups are on their side. A Europe-wide survey in 2020 found most people aren’t confused by terms like “veggie burger” so long as labels clearly say “vegan” or “plant-based.”

As one liberal MEP quipped, “A beef tomato doesn’t contain beef — let’s trust consumers and stop the hot-dog populism.”

The politics are shifting. Parliament rejected a similar idea in 2020, but a rightward tilt after the last elections revived it. France tried a national ban earlier, only to see parts of it knocked back by the EU’s top court. The bloc does already police dairy language — “milk” is legally what comes from udders — prompting the rise of the “oat drink.”

Underneath the wordplay is a market in transition. EU meat consumption has been sliding on cost and climate concerns, while plant-based output — especially in Germany — has more than doubled in five years. Germany’s chancellor even waded in with a line tailor-made for talk shows: “Sausage is not vegan.”

What happens next will be decided in negotiations with member states and the Commission. If they sign off, “veggie burger” could be history on EU shelves. If they don’t, Brussels may have to admit that, for many shoppers, a burger is a shape and a format — not a species.

The New York Times, Reuters, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and AP contributed to this report.