MARKET ▶▶▶
EU parliament decides fate of ‘veggie meat’
In a recent vote the European Parliament decided not to ban the use of meat-related names for plant-based substitutes, such as “veggie burgers” and “soy sausage”. The vote was part of the massive reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the area that deals with how products can be marketed.
BY MELANIE EPP, CORRESPONDENT T
Marketing re- search shows that using meat denominations boosts sales of plant-based products.
he discussion surrounding the denomination of plant-based meat substitutes is particularly timely given that the new strategy is to urge consumers to move towards a more plant-based diet in or-
der to reduce “the risk of life-threatening diseases and the environmental impact of our food system”. Included in the list of proposed amendments was a request to restrict the use of meat-related terms such as “burger”, “sausage” and “steak” for products that actually contain no meat. European meat and dairy organisations, including Co- pa-Cogeca (the voice of European farmers and agri-coopera- tives), the European Livestock and Meat Trades Union and the International Butchers’ Confederation, among others, argued that using such terms for plant-based products is misleading.
Parliament divided Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were divided on the subject. The different sectors were divided as well. The
plant-based food industry argues that such a move hinders Europe’s transition towards a healthier and more sustainable food system, one that – under the EU Farm to Fork strategy – calls on consumers to move to a more plant-based diet. They argue that current labels are not confusing and that consum- ers buy plant-based products to address concerns related to their health, the environment and animal welfare. Europe’s farmers and farming associations did not agree. In October, Copa-Cogeca, along with several other farming associations, launched a campaign against the misuse of meat denominations. “The meat denomination debate is not an attack on vegan or vegetarian products,” explained Paul- Henri Lava, senior policy advisor at the poultry processors’ organisation AVEC. “We accept and recognise the consumer’s choice to opt for ve- gan products,” he continued. “However, what we cannot ac- cept is that vegan and vegetarian products use the reputation and heritage of some meat denominations to sell products which are completely different and have nothing to do with them in terms of taste, composition and nutritional value.”
Marketing Organisations like the World Resources Institute have spent years exploring what language works and what doesn’t when it comes to describing plant-based foods in the US and the UK. Its conclusion is that the way foods are named does indeed significantly influence their uptake. The institute suggested moving away from words like “meat- free”, “vegan” and “vegetarian”, in favour of a focus on “prove- nance”, “flavour” and “look and feel”. An example provided in the final report revealed that changing the name “meat-free sausage and mash” to one of the suggested alternatives had indeed boosted sales. Using “better sausages and mash”, for example, boosted sales by 6.5%. Switching to “field-grown sausages and mash” boosted sales by 51.3%, while opting for “Cumberland spiced veggie sausages and mash” boosted sales by 76.2%. Note that all three examples still use the word “sausages” to describe a plant-based, non-meat product. Apparently, though, it seems that European consumers are not overly concerned about product names. A 2019 survey conducted by the European consumer organisation BEUC found that most Europeans are not bothered by the use of meat-related words in plant-based product marketing. In
50 ▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 1, 2021
PHOTO: ANP/PETER PARKS
PHOTO: ANP/JACO KLAMER
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