This week, the European Parliament voted to support an amendment that would prohibit vegetarian and vegan products from using names like “burger” and “sausage.” The proposed regulation extends beyond these categories to also restrict cell-cultured meat—commonly known as lab-grown meat—from using these terms.
Passed with a vote of 355 to 247, this regulation must still clear the EU Commission and the governments of member states before it is enacted. When implemented, it requires that designations such as “steak,” “burger,” “sausage,” and even “egg white” be exclusively linked to meat products. This is not a comprehensive list, as the legislation aims to encompass all designations typically associated with meat.
Notably, the bill explicitly states that these meat-related terms will exclude cell-cultured products, posing a potential challenge for this emerging sector. Terms like “lab-grown flesh disk” lack the market appeal of “hamburger,” and stakeholders in the cultured meat industry express a desire to use traditional names for their offerings once they reach maturity in development.
The amendment was introduced to bolster European livestock farmers and is backed by an increasingly right-leaning parliament. However, it faces opposition from supermarkets, environmental organizations, and even fast-food chains like Burger King. A similar amendment was defeated in 2020, but the EU has established a precedent by prohibiting plant-based alternatives from using dairy terms such as “milk” and “cheese.”
