Harsh criticism EU Parliament bans "veggie burger"
Meat substitutes are booming, but terms such as "veggie burger" could soon disappear. There is harsh criticism of the plan.
08.10.2025, 13:33
08.10.2025, 14:02
dpa
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- A majority in the European Parliament wants to restrict the names of plant-based substitute products, including "veggie burger", "soy schnitzel", "steak" and "sausage".
- The rapporteur Céline Imart (EPP) justifies this with a "risk of confusion" and the protection of agriculture, as plant-based products have different nutritional values.
- Consumer advocates such as Foodwatch and companies such as Aldi Süd, Lidl and Burger King are clearly critical of the proposal and speak of unnecessary bans.
The European Parliament wants to ban terms such as "veggie burger" or "soy schnitzel". A majority of MEPs also want terms such as "steak" or "sausage" to be restricted to animal-based foods in future. The EU member states would also have to approve the plan for the regulations to come into force.
The MEP responsible, Céline Imart, sees "a real risk of confusion", as plant-based substitute products would not offer the same nutritional values as their animal originals. The politician from the EPP group, which also includes the CDU and CSU, also wants to protect farmers with the proposal.
Now the negotiations begin
Consumer advocates and companies from the food industry sharply criticized the planned ban. The Foodwatch organization stated that no one accidentally buys tofu sausages because they think they are beef sausages. Several companies such as Aldi Süd, Lidl and Burger King had also spoken out against the plan in a joint letter.
Germany is the largest market for plant-based alternative products in Europe. In 2024, our neighbors produced around 121,600 tons of meat substitutes - twice as much as in 2019.
Parliament must now reach a final agreement in negotiations with the EU member states. The German government has not yet announced its position on the parliamentary resolution.
