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Veggie "burgers" to the slaughter? Meat alternatives marketing comes under scrutiny in EU

April 4, 2019 - from the Food Ingredients First:

"Terms such as “veggie burger “and “vegan sausage” could be banned under new plans put forward by the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee. Names that are currently used for meat products and meat preparations shall under this plan be reserved exclusively for products containing meat, for instance, designations include steak, sausage, escalope, burger and hamburger. This follows a previous 2017 judgment on purely plant-based products not being allowed to be marketed with designations such as 'milk,' 'cream,' 'butter,' 'cheese' or 'yogurt.'"

"The issue of how to label plant-based products that do not contain any meat or dairy continues to be in the spotlight on both sides of the Atlantic. The issue of designation is obviously important to both industry and consumers and any judgment has wide implications for the food industry, particularly innovators in the meat analog and plant-based spaces. "

"The significance of the shift to plant-based meat is underscored by key players moving into the space. For instance, Burger King is trialing Impossible Foods’ meatless patties in restaurants in St. Louis, US, while Nestlé has made its latest foray into the meat-free market, launching a new 'cook from raw' plant-based burger for European markets, while also unveiling launch plans for the US later this year."

"The amendment, which was adopted by the Agriculture Committee earlier this week, says: 'Names that fall under Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 that are currently used for meat products and meat preparations shall be reserved exclusively for products containing meat. Poultry products and cuts defined in Regulation (EU) No 543/2008, which lays down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EU) No 1234/2007 as regards the marketing standards for poultry meat shall be reserved exclusively for edible parts of the animals and products containing poultry meat.'"

"The text approved now has to be scrutinized by the Parliament as a whole. This can happen only after the 23-26 May European elections."