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What the burger?

Lords Committee to hear evidence whether vegetarian ‘burgers’ are confusing consumers
Katie Hill - Editor-in-Chief, My Green Pod
What the burger?

On Wednesday 19 June, the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee will ask experts whether a proposal from the European Parliament to ban the use of words like ‘sausage’ and ‘burger’ to describe foods that don’t contain meat is in the interests of consumers.

In early April, the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development agreed to seek to restrict the use of descriptions like ‘sausage’, ‘burger’ and ‘steak’ to apply only to products containing meat and not to vegetarian alternatives.

The Committee intends to hold a roundtable to discuss the proposal with a range of relevant stakeholders.

Participants in the roundtable include Ruth Edge, National Farmers’ Union; Laura Sears, Vegetarian Society; Jackie Kearney, chef; Mark Banahan, Vegan Society; Geoff Bryant, Quorn Foods.

Any evidence of confusion?

Farmers across Europe have argued that using names that usually apply to meat-based products misleads consumers about the nature and nutritional value of the food they are purchasing.

The Committee will ask whether there is any evidence that consumers are confused by the use of terms such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ to describe vegetarian products.

Others, on the other hand, argue that the proposal would make food packaging less clear for consumers and would have a disproportionate impact on vegans and small vegan businesses.

The Committee will ask about the impact of the proposals on consumers, the food industry and food retailers.

Members will also be exploring what changes, additions or exceptions would improve the proposal, and whether it would be beneficial for the UK to follow suit if this rule were introduced in the EU post-Brexit.

‘As more people move towards a plant-based diet, the question of how we identify and describe vegetarian and vegan food is increasingly relevant. In holding this roundtable we’re intending to test the merits of this proposal, and find out what it would mean for consumers and for the food industry.’

LORD TEVERSON
Chair of the Sub-Committee

The evidence session is open to the public. It will begin at 10.30 in Committee room 2 of the House of Lords.

If you wish to attend you should go to Parliament’s Cromwell Green Entrance and allow time for security screening. You can also watch the session live on Parliamentlive.tv

Click here to read our article about M&S receiving PETA’s first Vegan-Friendly High-Street Retailer award.

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