On July 25, 2019, a United Kingdom parliamentary sub-committee found that words like “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” to describe plant-based foods are not misleading to consumers. Indeed, the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee have raised concerns that a ban on the use of such descriptors for plant-based foods would actually reduce consumer clarity, be a barrier to growth for the plant-based sector of the food industry, and ultimately make it more challenging for people to reduce the amount of meat in their diet.

As background, in April of 2019, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development proposed to restrict the use of descriptors like “burger,” “steak,” and “sausage” to apply only to products containing meat and not to vegetarian alternatives. Supporters of the restriction argued that the change is needed to make sure consumers have access to clear information. In light of this proposal, the Sub-Committee held a stakeholder meeting on June 19 to discuss the potential impact of the ban on consumers and the food industry.

As a result of the June 19 meeting, the Sub-Committee found no evidence that use of such descriptors would be misleading to consumers. In a letter to the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Sub-Committee stated that they heard no evidence that consumers were misled by meat-free products and that less than 4% of consumers had ever unintentionally purchased a vegetarian product instead of a meat-based version, and vice versa. Further, the Sub-Committee found that the current naming conventions for meat-free products were actually clear and easy to understand for consumers. Therefore, in light of evidence to the contrary, the Sub-Committee challenged the stated justification of the proposed ban – that consumers are misled by such descriptors on plant-based products – and argued that without evidence of a problem, legislative action is unnecessary.

As our readers may know, the United States is facing similar issues, as evidenced by FDA’s review of the use of dairy terms in the labeling of plant-based foods, as well as with many states passing meat labeling laws that have been challenged by the plant-based food industry.