Beyond burgers? Linda McCartney Foods and global brands urge EU to drop plant-based naming restrictions

A coalition of food businesses has urged the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union not to restrict the use of terms such as 'burger' and 'sausage' for plant-based products, warning that doing so would create unnecessary confusion and regulatory fragmentation across global markets.

The February 2026 letter was organized by The Vegetarian Society and signed by companies operating across the European Union, the UK and the USA. Signatories include Linda McCartney Foods, Cauldron, Quorn, The Vegetarian Butcher Collective, Vivera, THIS, Suma Wholefoods, Meatless Farm, Beyond Meat, The Live Kindly Co, SunVit D3 Limited, ADAllen Pharma, Quinola, Redefine Meat EMEA BV, Tyne Chease, Phat Pasty, Conscious Skincare, Lanesters, Holly Molly and The Tofoo Co.

The intervention follows a vote in the European Parliament last year backing proposals to restrict certain meat-related terms for plant-based products. According to reporting by The Guardian on 13 February, the measures, initially put forward by French MEP Céline Imart, passed in October with 355 votes in favor and 247 against. The proposals now require approval from a majority of the EU’s 27 member states in a vote scheduled for 5 March.

In the letter, the businesses wrote: “We are writing as food businesses operating across global markets, including the European Union, the UK and the USA, to share our perspective on the ongoing discussions concerning the possible restriction of commonly used food terms such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based products.”

They argued that the issue concerns regulatory coherence rather than semantics. “For businesses operating internationally, food terminology is not simply a matter of language. It underpins regulatory certainty, cross-border trade, packaging systems, trademarks, and consumer recognition.”

The companies said descriptors such as 'plant-based burger' or 'vegetarian sausage' have developed “organically over decades as a way of communicating format and use, not composition.”

They warned that divergence between the EU and other major markets, including the UK and USA, would introduce “parallel labelling systems, increased compliance costs, and reduced efficiency without a corresponding consumer benefit.”

The Guardian also reported that supermarkets Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposed ban.

Paul Garner, commerce area leader at Suma Wholefoods, told The Guardian: “Consumers are smart! They don’t need labels policing words like ‘burger’ or ‘sausage’ to know what they’re buying. Clear ingredient lists and a bit of common sense are enough. Banning familiar terms just makes life harder for shoppers and smaller producers, without helping anyone.”

David Flochel, Chief Executive of Quorn Foods, told the publication it was “regrettable that energy continues to be spent revisiting an issue that consumers settled long ago”.

“In 40 years, not once has a customer told us they bought a Quorn product believing it to be meat,” Flochel said. “While we fully support rules that prevent misleading claims, we are concerned that these new restrictions risk creating unnecessary confusion and regulatory burden for both manufacturers and consumers.”

The coalition’s letter similarly stressed that such terminology functions as a navigational tool for shoppers. “They help shoppers quickly understand how food products fit into a meal, how they are cooked, and how they replace or complement familiar foods,” the businesses wrote.

Removing that shared vocabulary, they argued, “would not clarify choices; it would require consumers to learn a new, artificial lexicon that varies by jurisdiction.”

Beyond consumer clarity, the letter highlighted the potential impact on smaller operators. “The plant-based category has attracted significant investment in product development, manufacturing, and European agricultural supply chains,” the signatories wrote. “Much of this innovation comes from small and medium-sized enterprises, for whom regulatory predictability is essential.”

They warned that a sudden change in permitted terminology would impose “disproportionate burdens” through rebranding, redesign and legal review across multiple markets.

The letter concluded by urging EU institutions to maintain the current regulatory approach, avoid introducing terminology restrictions that create market fragmentation without demonstrable benefit, and continue prioritizing alignment with global trading partners.

With a member state vote due on 5 March, the outcome will determine whether the EU aligns with other major markets or adopts a more restrictive labeling regime for plant-based products.