MEPs on Friday rejected a text to ban the names of "
steak
" or "
burger
" for vegetarian products without animal meat, while adopting an amendment banning the names "
yogurt
", "
cheese
" or "
cream
" and comparisons with milk components for articles without animal milk.
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The European Parliament voted by a large majority against an amendment proposing to ban in the EU the use of names such as "
sausages
", "
hamburger
", "
fillets
" or "
escalope
" for products made from vegetables or cereals that do not contain animal meat but imitate its texture.
France had already adopted such a ban.
On the other hand, MEPs overwhelmingly approved another amendment banning the designations of "
yogurt
", "
cheese
" or "
cream
" for products without animal milk, including non-food items ("
soy milk shower gel
" ...).
European justice had already censored in 2017 the name of "
soy milk
" for food.
The ban would henceforth be extended to expressions of comparison ("
creamy flavor
", "
butter substitute
", "
cheese style
").
The only exceptions are long established expressions (almond milk, coconut milk, or cocoa butter).
The adopted amendment will now be negotiated with the Member States.
Copa-Cogeca, the federation of majority European agricultural unions, strongly supported the two texts, denouncing the names of products "
disconnected
" from their composition and the risks of "
confusion
" on their nutritional value.
"
It is excellent news that MEPs have shown common sense on 'vegan burgers', consumers are in no way deceived as soon as their vegetarian or vegan nature is clearly indicated
", reacted Camille Perrin, of the European Office. consumer unions (Beuc).
"On the other hand, it
is a shame that unnecessary restrictions on alternatives to dairy products have been approved (...) Europeans must adopt a more plant-based diet, for their health and the good of the planet
", she estimated.
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The market for items made from vegetable proteins is soaring, boosted by the desire to eat healthily or reduce the environmental footprint of farms, which emit large amounts of CO2.
According to Euromonitor estimates, the European market for “
meat substitutes
” has almost doubled in five years to reach $ 1.9 billion.
The European Plant-Based Products Alliance (EAPF) and the vegan-friendly NGO ProVeg strongly denounced the two proposed amendments.