Plant-based foods may soon have to watch their language. The European Union is in the final stages of passing legislation that will restrict the use of certain meat-related terms on the labels of plant-based foods. The proposal could create legal uncertainty without delivering tangible benefits for farmers, says the European Vegetarian Union’s Senior Policy Manager Rafael Pinto.
Speaking to EU Perspectives, Mr Pinto said the emerging EU legislation’s intention is driven by wider political dynamics within the European agricultural debate.
The push for the legislation stems from a deal struck between EU negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on a range of reforms to agricultural market rules under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. The deal includes measures to protect the use of a list of meat-related names, including names linked with specific cuts of meat. These names would be restricted in their use to products that contain such meat.
More symbolism, less protection
The European Vegetarian Union (EVU) examined the consumer research data that underpins the EU’s arguments for this measure. “The data is clear, and consumers are not confused,” said Mr Pinto. “In fact, most consumers agree with the current use of traditional terms by plant-based foods, finding them informative.”
“No farmer will earn more money because plant-based foods can no longer use terms such as ‘tenderloin’ or ‘liver’,” stressed Mr Pinto. According to him, the regulation will achieve nothing but create confusion for consumers, companies and farmers who produce raw materials for plant-based foods. “This is simply a symbolic victory for policymakers who want to present themselves as ‘standing with farmers’ while doing very little to create better livelihoods for them,” the expert says.
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“The whole debate contradicts several EU goals. Climate objectives and protein diversification are part of this contradiction, and this regulation undermines the EU’s entire competitiveness, innovation and simplification agenda.”— Rafael Pinto, senior policy manager at EVU
Me(a)t you in court
He also points out possible challenges when translating the policy into practice. And makes a prediction: “We expect many legal cases to emerge across the EU relating to specific products.”
Why? “Firstly, there is the issue of translating the 31 words into all EU languages, sometimes with regional specifics. Secondly, there is the level of enforcement by each member state’s authorities,” he says.
And other aspects remain unclear. “There is the question of the use of these words in hybrid and composite products,” he says, referring to products containing both animal and plant-based meat. “Fourthly, there is the question of how this will impact flavourings and aromas that have been used in the food industry for decades, such as ‘bacon-flavoured crisps’ or ‘chicken-flavoured noodles’.”
Managing a transition
Overall, Mr Pinto admitted to a sense within the EVU that the dispute over plant-based product terms highlights challenges in managing wider transitions in Europe’s food system.
“Rather than providing additional support for farmers, particularly smaller-scale farmers and those in areas of natural constraint, the EU is offering merely narrative and symbolic support. Even worse, the support is being offered through an issue that many farmers simply don’t care about,” he said.
Instead, he suggests creating a fund to support farmers in the transition towards more sustainable produce — growing traditional plant-based food, such as beans and peas. “If we have a Just Transition Fund for energy, especially coal, why not for farmers?”
