The European Parliament decided on Friday that vegan and vegetarian companies can keep using words like burger, steak and sausage to describe their products.
Europe’s farming lobby claimed that calling products with no killed animal in them a steak or burger, was misleading people. And they wanted the EU to ban those names for non-meat products.
In an open letter sent earlier to the Members of the European Parliament, 33 companies like Beyond Meat, Oatly and Unilever, said the ban would “go against growing consumer interest in alternatives to animal-based products for health, environmental and dietary reasons”.
Members of the European Parliament voted against the ban. They rejected all proposals to reserve meat-related names for products containing killed animals.
Vegetarian alternatives to meat are becoming more and more popular. People worldwide are realizing that eating less meat is not only better for their health but also the environment.
“The beauty of plant-based is just…whatever angle you look at it. No one is losing when we eat more plant-based. The planet benefits, animals benefit, your health benefits, it’s just win-win-win-win-win,” David Yeung, the founder of Green Monday, a platform for a plant-based lifestyle, told The Animal Reader.
This surge in demand for plant-based alternatives for meat products, sits not well with the farming industry. They see their business of killing animals to be sold as steaks, burgers and sausages declining. But some farmers decide to ride along with this trend and turn their animal farming business into a plant-based business.
#FutureofCAP: MEPs rejected all proposals to reserve meat-related names for products containing meat. No change for plant-based products & names they currently use when being sold. Final #EPlenary vote on #CAPreform later today.
— AGRI Committee Press (@EP_Agriculture) October 23, 2020
Donate#Breaking: MEPs vote down proposed #veggieburgerban amendment 165 (379 against, 284 for, 27 abs).
— HSI/Europe (@HSIEurope) October 23, 2020
However, victory bittersweet as MEPs voted to ban any direct or indirect reference to dairy foods for #plantbased products. #standupforplantbased #CMO #CAPreform pic.twitter.com/t9N2wEi5WU
