EU bans “vegan bacon” but “veggie burger” can stay

EU lawmakers have banned companies from using certain meat-related names for vegan and vegetarian meat substitutes; other terms will still be allowed.

EU compromise on meat names for veggie food

In October 2025, 355 members of the European Parliament voted in favour and 247 against a ban on using terms associated with meat products to sell plant-based foods. Lawmakers have now reached a compromise.

Going forward, companies will be banned from using 31 meat-related terms to sell vegan and vegetarian plant-based meat alternatives. “Bacon”, “beef”, “chicken”, “ribs”, “drumstick” and “loin” are all among the newly-banned terms, while companies will still be able to use the term “veggie burger” or “meat-free sausages”.

Back in December, the European food advocacy group Foodwatch said the initial plan to ban all meat-related terms was likely unlawful. Foodwatch said the plan contradicted a previous European Court of Justice judgment that companies cannot be banned from using product terms without providing alternative, permitted terms.

The European Parliament and the Council of 27 Member States must now sign off on the final decision, which is expected to be little more than a formality, though some amendments may be made in the process. The approved package will apply until 2027, when the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy is due to be reformed.

German supermarkets speak out against ban

While French, centre-right MEP Céline Imart (Les Républicains) called the compromise an “undeniable success for our livestock farmers”, consumer organisations and German supermarkets are more critical. 

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said the new rules will only increase confusion among shoppers. “Arguing that these meaty names create confusion amongst consumers is nonsense,” BEUC Director Agustín Reyna said in a press release. “Our data shows that around 70 percent of consumers agree with these names as long as products are clearly labelled vegetarian or vegan.”

Aldi-Süd, Lidl and Rügenwalder Mühle are among the German companies that have spoken out against the ban, alongside Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU). Rainer said that, while for him, a schnitzel always contains meat, consumers know what they are buying at the supermarket.

Germany is the European country with the largest market for plant-based meat alternatives, and the changes are expected to be a financial blow for the companies that make these products.

“Based on internal estimates and feedback from numerous affected companies, total damages are expected to amount to around 250 million euros,” the Federal Association for Alternative Protein Sources said in January.

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