2d ago

EU lawmakers push to ban term 'veggie-burger'

www.reuters.com

reuters.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/50562993

EU lawmakers voted on Wednesday to ban the use of the term "veggie-burger" and limit food descriptions such as steak, escalope and sausage to products containing meat, part of a proposed EU law to protect farmers.

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schizoidman @lemmy.zip

2d ago

EU lawmakers push to ban term 'veggie-burger'

www.reuters.com /business/eu-lawmakers-push-ban-term-veggie-burger-2025-10-08/

Global News @lemmy.zip

schizoidman @lemmy.zip

2d ago

EU lawmakers push to ban term 'veggie-burger'

www.reuters.com /business/eu-lawmakers-push-ban-term-veggie-burger-2025-10-08/

31 comments

Yes, this will definitely protect farmers. I mean, it won't, but at least they will FEEL like it protects them.
People eat veggie burgers for a reason, and it isn't because they think it is actually meat. You can call it whatever you want.
- Like what is the problem? Hamburgers don't have any ham in them.
  
  a hamburger refers being in the style of, or a resident of hamburg Germany.
  A burger should only be allowed to refer to the residents, or styles of, any legally defined Burg- ie a german walled town or fortress.
  Hamburg should claim a DOC for ground beef, like champagne's for sparkling wine.
  Although that might be disingenuous, as a practice of making the minced beef steak into a sandwich wasnt developed until the dish made its way to america.
- The farmers and Big Agriculture are afraid. Meat is getting expensive and vegan alternatives are getting cheaper.
The world is collapsing under the weight of totalitarianism, climate change, pollution, escalating conflicts, terrorism, tariff battles, supply chain issues, job losses, diseases, and various other huge challenges. And this is the bullshit they are focusing on?!
Great job EU lawmakers! /s
Veggie Vurger. Problem solved.
- If what they did to milk and cheese is any indication, putting "burger alternative" on the packaging is good enough, so in the end it's going to be a big nothing burger.
As a form of protest the producers could call their veggie-burgers something like "veggie- big uncooked round grain based edible rotund" which conveniently shortens to veggie-b.u.r.g.e.r. Simply make the dots between the letters tiny and you barely have to change the packaging.
Hope that's legal and someone does that. Those idiots who made this law would blow a gasket.
- Or just do it like they do with vegan cheese and call it "burger alternative" so it's legally not a burger.
These the same idiots that railed against paper straws?
- Not really, it's more of a farmer's lobby protecting animal products from vegetarian alternatives.
  Which as someone else says below is a bit neutral and doesn't do much, but hey. They did it to milk.
  Guessing it's some bargaining chip with the industry on the wider legislation they're passing? This stuff is pretty byzantine. European agricultural industries are constantly on the verge of setting stuff on fire. It's a full time job to be even vaguely aware of what's going on with them.
  
  Are EU farmers dumb? Who mistakes a veggie burger for a real burger?
- I mean, paper straws are not great for the environment either though. Better to go without or have a reusable straw.
What's next? Soon you won't be allowed to call it baby oil unless it's made from real babies.
On a more serious note, I did order a "flexi" burger at Max by mistake. I thought it was a gateway burger with one patty replaced by halloumi. All I got was veg.
- Wait baby powder isn't made from real babies?
I can see terms like beef but are they not going to allow turkey burgers.
Pathetic
Great news! Do milk and cheese next!
- They already did that. It's all soy drink instead of soy milk, and it says "vegan alternative for cheese", with "alternative for" in small print, or just "cheese alternative". That kind of thing. It might have delayed some sales, but in general the vegan market grew anyway.
  
  I'm perfectly fine with the vegan market growing - the more the better!
  I'm just tired of accidentally buying congealed vegetable oil when I'm trying to buy cheese, and compressed bean patty when I'm trying to buy burgers. Making it more clear on the packaging will mean I don't have to spend an extra five minutes triple-checking the fine print all over the package to make sure I'm not being tricked into buying something I don't want. I can just grab the ones that say "burgers" and "cheese" with no worries and go.
  Not to mention that this will also make it easier for those who are looking for congealed vegetable oil and compressed bean patty, meaning they'll be less likely to accidentally buy something they're morally or ethically opposed to.

31 comments