European Union will decide if vegan burgers can be called “burgers”

The European Parliament will consider amendments that would prohibit vegan producers from using the words “meat,” “burger,” “sausage,” and others.

Farmers who produce real meat have advocated for not misleading consumers and distinguishing between animal and plant products. For example, they want that it is impossible to buy “vegan sausage” or “vegetable meat” in stores.

The European Parliament will finally consider the related legislation on Friday. New positions may appear on European supermarkets’ shelves if they are accepted, such as ‘vegan disks’ or ‘plant-based tubes.’

A few years ago, the European Union banned the sale of plant “dairy” products if their labels contain the words “milk,” “cheese,” and others. To get around this ban, some producers began to sign their products with the term “milk.”

The European Farmers’ Association Copa Cogeca said the European Union had to end “surrealistic” descriptions. “We need to make sure that consumers get the right information according to the categories of products they consume,” said Pekka Pesonen, the organization’s secretary.