Minister Rainer (CSU) does not want words like “veggie schnitzel” or “tofu sausage” removed from labels. He calls the EU ban “unnecessary bureaucracy” that would burden the food sector with “incredibly high costs.” Companies would have to relabel their products and adjust all their marketing campaigns.
According to Rainer, consumers already know that plant-based schnitzels contain no meat. “Anyone who buys a vegetarian burger knows it is not made from beef,” he said last week in Luxembourg after consultations with his EU colleagues. He believes consumers do not need extra protection.
Germany thus remains a significant opposing voice in the ongoing European negotiations between the EU countries and the European Parliament. This seems to have considerably reduced the chances of the ban being introduced.
Consumer organizations and the food industry support the German position. In a joint letter, Lidl, Aldi, Burger King, and Beyond Meat, among others, expressed their disapproval. They argue that a ban would reduce product recognizability and hinder innovation. Food producers also warn that re-labeling thousands of packages would cost millions of euros.
The European Parliament voted earlier this month in favor of the ban by a narrow majority, on the initiative of a French MEP. The debate recalls a previous attempt in 2020, when the European Parliament rejected a similar proposal. Then, as now, the core resistance was the same: consumers clearly understand what they are buying—even if it is called a “veggie schnitzel.”
Dutch MEP Anna Strolenberg (Volt) and her Austrian colleague Anna StĂĽrgkh (NEOS) have launched a petition against the EU proposal. According to them, there is no evidence that consumers are confused by terms such as veggieburger or tofu sausage. Stoltenberg emphasized that producers of meat substitutes are actually transparent by using clear labels.