Food manufacturers and campaigners have claimed this could stifle plant-based innovation, add millions of pounds in costs to food companies to rebrand and change their packaging, as well as add to an increase in packaging waste.
In October, a proposal presented at the European Parliament stated that names such as burger, escalope, steak, along with sausage must be used “exclusively for products containing meat,” defined as “the edible parts of the animals.”
MEPs adopted the proposal with 355 votes for, 247 against, and 30 abstentions.
The move is set to be debated on Thursday (11 December). Hopes are that these discussions may result in further amendments before the law is finalised in 2026.
Paul McCartney, whose family has been central to promoting plant-based eating for more than three decades, said: “To stipulate that burgers and sausages are ‘plant-based’, ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ should be enough for sensible people to understand what they are eating. This also encourages attitudes which are essential to our health and that of the planet.”
Gemma Chapman, business communications manager at ProVeg, added: “Restricting labelling would reduce high-value opportunities for farmers, undermine the single market, and add unnecessary administrative complexity.
“Where companies are concerned, they could be set back by having to rebuild brands, alter how they communicate with consumers and, in the process, foot huge rebrand costs and face operational disruption. ProVeg urges EU lawmakers to consider the broader landscape here and to see how restrictive labelling measures could impact the current and future development of alternative proteins, which Europe excels at.”
Rügenwalder Mühle, a German company that produces traditional, animal-based foods as well as plant-based foods, warns that renaming products is far from a simple packaging tweak.
“We’d have to rename and relabel a large part of our portfolio, potentially up to 70% of our plant-based range,” said Claudia Hauschild, Rügenwalder Mühle’s head of communications and sustainability.
“That’s not a cosmetic change; it would mean redesigning packaging, updating logistics, and replacing inventory across all markets. Early internal estimates suggest this could cost us a mid-single-digit million euro sum, depending on transition periods and whether existing packaging can still be used. We’d need to update every touchpoint: packaging, advertising, retail listings, recipe communications, and search terms online.”
Rutger Rozendaal, CEO of The Vegetarian Butcher, also has concerns about the proposed labelling ban.
“Our brand is built on bridging the gap between traditional meat culture and plant-based innovation,” he said.
“Consumers choose The Vegetarian Butcher precisely because our products resemble animal meat in taste, texture, shape, and preparation. This proposed legislation would limit our ability to communicate that value clearly.”
There are also concerns that the EU proposal adds a waste problem on top of a financial one.
Nicolas Schweitzer, CEO of French plant-based pork producer, La Vie, said: “It’s an enormous waste issue. We sometimes have a year’s worth of packaging stock; having to throw all that away would be both financially and environmentally absurd.”
The news comes as new YouGov Data showed that 92% of UK Adults said they have never accidentally bought a plant-based sausage or burger believing it contained meat or can’t recall doing so, undermining claims that everyday terms like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ cause consumer confusion.
A cross-party group of UK MPs has written to the European Commission urging it to reject proposals that would restrict the use of familiar food terms for plant-based products. The MPs warn that such restrictions would damage innovation, confuse shoppers, and slow progress on climate goals, and their letter is formally supported by the McCartney family.
