Could the EU ban on meaty names apply to the UK? - Summary
- EU parliament voted to ban meat terms like ‘steak’ and ‘burger’ for plant-based
- UK currently not affected but trade deal may align food rules with EU
- Alignment could also tighten gene editing and ban smoky flavourings
- Food Standards Agency indicates UK businesses may face new labeling rules
- Ban could impact major plant-based brands including Quorn and THIS
After the failure of several similar bans, efforts to stop meat alternatives using ‘meaty’ names are closer than ever to fruition.
The EU has proposed a ban on the use of terms such as ‘steak’, ‘hamburger’ and ‘escalope’ for meat alternatives. This was recently voted through Parliament, bringing it very close to being implemented.
Later this week, the European Commission and member states will decide whether the ban becomes law.
Of course, since it left the EU in 2020, the UK is not liable to these rules. Following the vote, Mark Cuddigan, CEO of plant-based meat company THIS, described the UK being unaffected by these rules as “the first positive thing I can think of that has come from Brexit”.
This may not be the case for much longer. According to reports from The Guardian, the ban, if implemented, could be extended to the UK.
UK may align with EU food laws
News cycles surrounding EU food regulations are nothing new for Brits. Myths about EU bans on ‘bendy’ bananas helped to grow support for Brexit in the first place.
Now, food laws are back on the agenda for the country. A trade deal between the UK and EU earlier this year may lead to the former aligning with the latter’s regulations on food.
Food safety checks on the UK border are complex, and an alignment on rules could streamline this and help the two trade more easily.
In practice, this could mean a tightening of the UK’s rules on gene editing, a reversal of its pledge to further restrict foie gras, and a ban on eight key smokey flavourings.
Even oatcakes, a UK snacking staple, could be banned due to mycotoxins found in British oats, reports the Times.
Now, reports suggest that the deal could also cover ‘meaty’ names for meat alternatives, if the ban goes ahead. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is understood to have told UK stakeholders that businesses would be regulated under these rules.
This could impact a wide range of plant-based companies that operate in the UK, such as THIS, Quorn, Planted, and Moving Mountains, to name just a few.
The FSA has been contacted for comment.
What does the meaty names ban cover?
The EU Parliament recently voted in favour of a ban on meat-related terms for meat alternatives.
The ban was introduced as an amendment for a proposal suggesting changes to the EU’s Common Market Organisation (CMO).
While it outlined seven banned terms – burger, hamburger, steak, sausage, escalope, egg yolk and egg white – it is understood that the ban would cover any similar terms.
Will it stick? We will find out soon enough. And now, it’s not only the EU that will be affected by the outcome.
