Are veggie burgers doomed to become ‘veggie discs’?

Have you ever been confused by the term ‘veggie burger’ or ‘veggie sausage’? We didn’t think so. However, the EU parliament is set on banning these terms, with a final vote on the matter scheduled for the week of 19th October.

MEPs are seeking to prevent the producers of plant-based foods from using terms typically used to describe meat or dairy products, thereby banning terms such as ‘veggie burger’, ‘veggie sausage’, ‘yoghurt style’ or ‘cheese substitute’.

Next week, the members of EU parliament will vote on two proposals, amendments 165 and 171 which will see veg-based substitutes doomed to become ‘veggie discs’ and ‘veggie tubes’.

Vegans have a hard enough time being taken seriously – imagine turning up at a barbeque with a box of ‘veggie tubes’!

• One-in-four consumers believe veggie products shouldn’t be allowed to have meat-related names
• European Commission to support plant-based diets in new Farm to Fork Strategy
• Europeans urged to cut meat consumption by 71% to fight climate change

‘Will confuse customers’

A petition launched by ProVeg International has been circulating the internet, boasting over 150,000 signatures to have the vote dropped.

ProVeg claims “Terms such as ‘veggie burger’ and ‘veggie sausage’ provide important information regarding the taste and uses that people can expect from a product. Consumers buy plant-based products precisely because they know these products offer similar taste experiences and functionalities to their animal-based counterparts.”

Referring to the proposals, Marco Contiero, the EU agriculture policy director at Greenpeace said: “They are coming from a prehistoric age. And they are justified in a ridiculous way by stating that this will confuse consumers.”

Surprisingly, in a survey involving meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans, 1 in 4 Brits said manufacturers of plant-based products should not be permitted to use meat-related names like sausage, burger or steak.

If the proposals do come into effect in the EU, we will be holding our precious vegan alternatives close and praying that Brexit prevents them from stealing our burgers and sausages too.

Click here to find the latest vegan meat product launches.