Europe must retain its lead role in the global plant-based food market with supportive, not restrictive policies
Farmers, meat companies and plant-based food pioneers could all be adversely affected by a proposed EU labeling ban on “meaty” names for plant-based foods, ProVeg International said today.
The proposal to ban words like “burger” and “sausage” from plant-based foods moves into trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the EU on 11 December. These discussions may result in further amendments before the law is finalized in 2026.
Europe currently leads the global plant-based meat market, which was estimated to be worth $2.47 billion in 2024.1 The sector supports farmers, especially pulse growers, and drives rural diversification, as well as contributing to soil health and sustainability.
“Restricting labeling would reduce high-value opportunities for farmers, undermine the single market, and add unnecessary administrative complexity,” Gemma Chapman, Business Communications Manager at ProVeg, said.
“Where companies are concerned, they could be set back by having to rebuild brands, alter how they communicate with consumers and, in the process, foot huge rebrand costs and face operational disruption.”
“ProVeg urges EU lawmakers to consider the broader landscape here and to see how restrictive labeling measures could impact the current and future development of alternative proteins, which Europe excels at,” she added.
Rügenwalder Mühle, a German company that produces traditional, animal-based foods as well as plant-based foods, warns that renaming products is far from a simple packaging tweak.
“We’d have to rename and relabel a large part of our portfolio, potentially up to 70% of our plant-based range,” Claudia Hauschild, Rügenwalder Mühle’s Head of Communications and Sustainability, told ProVeg.
“That’s not a cosmetic change; it would mean redesigning packaging, updating logistics, and replacing inventory across all markets. Early internal estimates suggest this could cost us a mid-single-digit million euro sum, depending on transition periods and whether existing packaging can still be used. We’d need to update every touchpoint: packaging, advertising, retail listings, recipe communications, and search terms online. Even supermarket planograms and shelf labels would need to be changed,” she adds.
Rutger Rozendaal, CEO of The Vegetarian Butcher, also has concerns about the proposed labeling ban
“Our brand is built on bridging the gap between traditional meat culture and plant-based innovation,” he said. “Consumers choose The Vegetarian Butcher precisely because our products resemble animal meat in taste, texture, shape, and preparation. This proposed legislation would limit our ability to communicate that value clearly.”
The EU proposal adds a waste problem on top of a financial one. Nicolas Schweitzer, CEO of French plant-based pork producer, La Vie, said: “It’s an enormous waste issue. We sometimes have a year’s worth of packaging stock; having to throw all that away would be both financially and environmentally absurd.”
“There’s also a serious risk of losing customers,” The Vegetarian Butcher’s Rozendaal adds. “If consumers can no longer easily identify plant-based alternatives, they may turn away from them altogether. That would slow down the protein transition and hurt both sustainability goals and business performance.”
ENDS
Footnotes
Notes to Editors
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For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
