EU votes to ban ‘burger’ and ‘steak’ labels for plant-based foods

Plant-based “steaks” and “veggie burgers” may be on the way out in the European Union after the bloc’s parliament voted on Wednesday to restrict such labels to meat only, in a win for disgruntled farmers.

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.

Heeding their message, EU lawmakers meeting in Strasbourg, France, backed a proposal to reserve a list of labels including “sausage” and “burger” to foods containing meat.

A labelling ban is still some way off: the text needs negotiating with the bloc’s 27 member states before it can become law.

But Celine Imart, a cereal farmer and right-wing lawmaker from France who sponsored the plan, cheered Wednesday’s vote as a “victory for farmers”.

“A sausage means meat produced by our livestock farmers. Full stop,” she posted on social media. “This is a vote for recognising their work, and for transparency for consumers.”