Food EU ban on veggie burgers would be illegal according to Foodwatch
According to a report commissioned by the consumer protection organization Foodwatch, a ban on names such as "veggie burger" or "tofu sausage" being discussed at EU level would be unlawful in its planned form.
08.12.2025, 05:54
SDA
The planned bans would contradict the principles of a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), according to the report.
The ECJ has ruled that member states may not ban product names without first specifying which names are to be used instead. In addition to the ECJ ruling from October 2024, the report also refers to the EU Food Information Regulation.
Foodwatch: Ban would be "nonsensical" and "unlawful"
"An EU ban on 'tofu sausages' or 'seitan schnitzel' is not only nonsensical, but also unlawful," says Foodwatch Managing Director Chris Methmann. Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) must stop the project in Brussels. Rainer had already spoken out against the ban in the past.
The legal opinion also states that the amendment to EU law demanded by the French EPP MEPs is unclear and incomprehensible. Among other things, terms such as "sausage" and "schnitzel" should be "reserved exclusively for the edible parts of animals" according to the requested legal amendment. A schnitzel with breading should therefore not be referred to as a schnitzel, according to the expert opinion.
On Wednesday, negotiations on the planned ban will enter what could be the final round. A majority of EU member states would also have to agree to the ban for the regulations to come into force.
