The EU Commission has proposed a ban on 29 meat-related terms for plant-based products.
- Some terms like “steak,” “sausage,” and “burger” remain unaffected.
- The Commission believes the ban is necessary for market transparency and because of the cultural significance of these terms.
- Research on consumer confusion regarding these terms has produced mixed results.
The debate over plant-based naming restrictions has resurfaced! The European Commission’s latest proposal outlines a list of 29 terms that should not be used for marketing products lacking meat.
According to this proposal, “meat” is exclusively defined as the “edible part of the animal.”
This initiative follows a prior attempt to legislate such restrictions, which was defeated in the European Parliament in 2020.
Interestingly, several terms are notably absent from the proposed list.
29 ‘meaty’ names banned
In its proposal, the European Commission outlines 29 terms that would be prohibited for marketing animal-free goods.
These include “beef,” “pork,” “chicken,” “bacon,” and “duck,” along with various cuts like “sirloin,” “tenderloin,” and “breast.”
The Commission aims to enhance transparency within the EU market and ensure that consumers make “well-informed” decisions.
These bans are deemed crucial because consumers might seek specific nutritional profiles associated with meat products.
Furthermore, the Commission emphasizes that meat-related terms often have “cultural significance.”
However, terms such as “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” are exempt from the Commission’s proposal, offering some flexibility to plant-based meat manufacturers if the proposal passes.
All three terms have at one time been targeted for banning by MEP Céline Imart.
What terms are banned?
Terms banned under the proposal would include bacon, beef, veal, pork, poultry, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, lamb, mutton, ovine, goat, drumstick, tenderloin, sirloin, flank, loin, ribs, shoulder, shank, chop, wing, breast, thigh, brisket, ribeye, T-bone, and rump.
Are consumers actually confused by ‘meaty’ names?
A significant argument against using ‘meaty’ names for plant-based products revolves around potential consumer confusion. Research into this issue has produced diverse findings.
Some studies indicate that most consumers show minimal confusion regarding the use of such terms.
For instance, a 2022 German study revealed that the vast majority of consumers could accurately identify meat-free products, such as vegetarian Fleischsalat (a German meat salad) and vegetarian chicken nuggets, despite their names.
Conversely, a study published earlier this year suggests that some confusion may persist.
In that study, consumers categorized products as either plant-based or animal-based. Participants made notably more errors when ‘meaty’ names were used, and their response times were marginally longer.
The study also noted that confusion stemmed from factors beyond just the name, including marketing strategies, label design, and product placement in stores.
Why ‘meaty’ names are controversial
A longstanding controversy surrounding plant-based products involves the terminology used to describe them.
Although many mimic traditional products—like bacon, burgers, and chicken—they aren’t composed of the same ingredients.
This has led some to contend that using these names misleads consumers and poses a risk to the conventional meat sector. The current proposal is not the first effort to prohibit such terminology.
Italy and France have each attempted to ban certain ‘meaty’ names for plant-based products, although the latter’s efforts were rejected by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Moreover, a 2017 ECJ ruling prohibited some dairy-associated terms within the EU, including “milk,” “butter,” “cheese,” and “yoghurt.”