Little did European producers of vegetarian products know they’d be looking to Texas for inspiration.

In cowboy country – the most meat‑mad state in the US – a judge invoked the First Amendment to strike down a law imposing big disclaimers on plant-based meat alternatives, arguing that consumers weren’t being tricked by “veggie” sausages.

The landmark ruling came last month and is helping the industry on the other side of the Atlantic prepare for similar cases.

In Brussels, EU legislators are currently discussing restrictions on “meaty” terms for plant-based products, with the European Parliament pushing to restrict the use of names such as “steak”, “burger” or “sausage”.

Meanwhile, the Commission backs a narrower fix targeting the word “meat” and animal-specific names such as “chicken”, “beef”, “wing” and “chop”.

At a meeting next Thursday, negotiators from the three institutions will seek to clinch a deal – part of the wider review of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) regulation.

A matter of freedom

As key talks approach, the European veggie lobby is bracing for the worst.

Lawyers consulted by a leading EU manufacturer of both meat and plant-based alternatives said the Texas ruling should be a wake-up call.

Back in the US, the Texas court found no evidence that current labels were misleading meat‑seeking shoppers into buying plant‑based products, and said new requirements would be burdensome and costly for companies – arguments increasingly heard in the EU as well.

Crafting a compromise

French centre-right lawmaker Céline Imart is the leading MEP on the CMO file, and has kept a hard line on meat names over the past months – pushingfor a wide range of restricted terms and bringing interinstitutional negotiations to the brink.

The Commission has sought to bring Imart on board with its more moderate proposal, which stands a better chance of securing the Council’s support, yet still goes too far for the industry.

While the fate of the veggie “burger” remains up in the air, some provisions have slowly taken shape.

(adm, jp)