Soon, vegan bacon, steak, and wings could disappear from European grocery stores. In their place? Shoppers might find options like “smoky strips” or “plant-based slices.” That’s because earlier this month, European Union (EU) lawmakers reached a provisional agreement that would regulate the use of certain “meat-related names” by plant-based and cultured meat brands.
While the use of terms like “sausage” and “burger” would still be allowed, the agreement states that 31 terms—including bacon, wings, pork, beef, steak, and ribs—should be reserved for meat products only. Regulating these “meat-related names,” the agreement claims, will “enhance transparency in the internal market and enable well-informed consumer choices.”
Umaro Foods
But not everyone agrees. In fact, many experts say that forcing brands to use alternative descriptors could actually confuse consumers even more.
“Consumers want to eat healthier and need convenient and affordable options,” said Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, an umbrella group for 44 independent consumer organizations from 31 countries. “These names make it easy for those who want to integrate these options in their diets, and the new rules will increase confusion and are simply not necessary.”
An abundance of research appears to back this up.
Research suggests consumers are not confused by plant-based meat names
In December 2025, a survey of 20,000 Dutch people by the independent research organization Radar found that 96 percent were not confused when meat-related terms were used on plant-based products.
In 2022, another study in Australia, conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, similarly concluded that Australian consumers are very unlikely to be confused. And in 2020, BEUC conducted its own research and found that 70 percent of EU consumers want plant-based brands to use traditional meat-related names for plant-based products.
“Instead of complexifying rules for companies, policymakers should focus on closing a real information gap by making packaging understandable with clear information and trustworthy labels,” added Reyna.
The EU claims it is trying to support farmers with the new agreement, which also promises to make the food supply chain fairer and more transparent.
Measures include requiring written contracts between farmers and buyers, simplifying the rules around producer organizations, offering additional financial support, encouraging young farmers to join industry groups, and clarifying how marketing terms like “fair,” “equitable,” and “short supply chain” can be used.
“We are giving farmers additional tools to secure a more predictable and sustainable future,” said Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment of the Republic of Cyprus, in a statement.
Juicy Marbles
But critics say the ban on meat-related terms does little to address the real challenges farmers face.
“This ban does not help a single farmer,” Rob de Schutter, head of communications at WePlanet, said to Meat Free Monday. “Most of them look at these new regulations as a distraction from real problems farmers face. It does not improve a single consumer’s life. It exists to protect niche political interests, nothing more.”
What happens next?
The agreement is not yet officially in force. It still needs to be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament, and many hope that this will leave time for legal challenges.
La Vie
“We urge the UK public and brands to speak up now, demand a reconsideration of these rules, and call on the EU to carry out a full, robust impact assessment to fully understand the consequences for UK businesses, consumers, and trade,” said Jenny Canham, the Public Affairs Lead at the UK’s Vegetarian Society.
What meat-related words have been banned by the EU?
Interested in which terms are part of the new EU agreement? Find all of them below.
- Beef
- Veal
- Pork
- Poultry
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Goose
- Lamb
- Mutton
- Ovine
- Goat
- Drumstick
- Tenderloin
- Sirloin
- Flank
- Loin
- Steak
- Ribs
- Shoulder
- Shank
- Chop
- Wing
- Breast
- Liver
- Thigh
- Brisket
- Ribeye
- T-bone
- Rump
- Bacon
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
