Products such as ‘veggie burger’ and ‘vegan sausage’ have become more and more prominent on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus in recent years, but they may be resigned to the history books across the EU if proposed legislation passes.

On Monday the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee voted on regulations which demand that only products containing dead animals can use the staple names.

The terms in question include steak, sausage, escalope, burger and hamburger.

The next stage for the proposed legislation will see it scrutinised by Parliament as a whole, after European elections in May. The Conference of Presidents may then forward the text to the full house.

Dairy

This is not the first time the meat and dairy industry have desperately tried to prevent the rise of veganism by blocking the use of supposedly off-limits terms.

The proposal has a striking similarity to the 2017 European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on milk, which prevented plant-based companies from using terms whey, cream, butter, cheese and yoghurt.

The case was brought against German company TofuTown after the animal food industry argued terms such as ‘tofu butter’ should be outlawed.

TofuTown argued that consumers were well aware of what they were buying, but lost the case after the European courts found that the terms violated existing EU legislation.

Campaigners argued that, considering the environmental benefits of using plant-based milk, cheese and butter, courts should be looking to support the industry rather than censor it.

Vegan burgers

Earlier this year animal meat giant ABP UK announced it was investing in a plant-based burger range.

In response the Irish Cattle And Sheep Farmers’ Association president Patrick Kent voiced outrage at the company’s marketing for meat-free alternatives.

He said: “This is an insult to beef farmers everywhere but particularly Irish beef farmers given the dire position the sector is in at present.

“ABP UK has prospered greatly off the backs of hard-pressed beef farmers and to throw this in their faces at a time like this is an utter disgrace.”

• Read: Earthling Ed hits back at farmers who ‘lost their minds’ over Tesco vegan sausage ad

What do you think of the attempts to prevent plant-based names for ‘burgers’ and ‘sausages’? Tell us in the comments below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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