Midlands MEP backs new EU move to ban “veggie burger” label

Midlands-North-West MEP Ciarán Mullooly has welcomed a European Parliament decision to ban the use of terms such as “veggie burger” and “vegan sausage” on plant-based products, describing them as “misleading.”

The Parliament this week approved an amendment from French MEP Céline Imart to restrict meat-related words to products that actually contain meat.

Mullooly said the move would “bring an end to consumer confusion” and praised colleagues for applying “common sense.”

The Independent MEP said he has “always supported” the measure and will continue to lobby for clear labelling on behalf of Irish farmers.

He also called for similar action in the dairy sector, arguing that terms such as “almond milk” are equally misleading.

“It’s not natural milk, but simply a plant-based juice,” he said.

The European Parliament’s decision is part of a revision of rules around the EU’s Common Market Organisation (CMO) for agricultural products.

The amendment, brought forward by French MEP Céline Imart seeks to reserve terms such as “burger,” “sausage,” “steak,” “hamburger,” and “escalope” exclusively for products containing meat.

It’s not the EU’s first attempt at regulating this kind of terminology, with a similar proposal being rejected in 2020.

The proposal will now move to negotiations between the Parliament, the Council and the European Commission before becoming law.