Veggie Burger or Veggie ‘Disc’ on the Menu? EU Vote Will Decide
- MSN
(Bloomberg) -- Consumers shopping for alternative meats could see veggie “discs” and “plant-based tubes” on European shelves under a proposal to stop plant-based food producers from using more traditional words on packaging.
The European Parliament will this week vote on an amendment that would limit the use of words such as “hamburger” or “sausage” exclusively to labels for real meat. Another proposal calls for further restricting the use of terms like “creamy,” or “yoghurt-style” on dairy-free items.
The vote highlights a clash in the food industry as meat and dairy alternatives gain in popularity. Meat producers argue that plant-based products with traditional-sounding labels mislead shoppers into thinking the substitutes are equal to the real thing. Alternative-protein makers like Unilever Plc, Beyond Meat and Oatly AB say the proposals would hurt the development of alternative foods and confuse consumers.