From Veggie Burger To Soy Disk?
A veggie burger or a soy disk? That is the discussion that has been ongoing in European politics lately. A month ago, the European Parliament voted to ban the use of meat-related names such as ‘burger’ or ‘sausage’ on vegetarian products. Supporters of the ban argue that these names can confuse consumers, while opponents point to the meat lobby as the main influence behind this decision.
by Vos Vissers, Sophie Manusov & Quinty Setlight
French Member of Parliament Céline Imart introduced an amendment to protect European farmers from competition by vegetarian producers. According to the proposal, farmers are struggling because of inflation, the coronavirus pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. This ban is meant to support meat farmers.
The issue has been around for some time. In 2020, the same amendment was rejected in the European Parliament, partly because the Parliament leaned more toward the political left at that time, compared to today. However, that same year a ban on dairy names such as ‘oat milk’ was approved. That product has been in the supermarket as ‘oat drink’ for years now.
Opponents are concerned that the ban will slow down the transition to a more sustainable food system. According to Milieu Centraal, in the Netherlands we buy, for example, 4 to 6 times more kilograms of meat per person each year than what the planet can sustainably support. And that’s not even considering the import and export of meat. With such a ban, the Parliament would therefore not be pursuing the general European interest, but rather that of a small group.
In addition to strengthening the position of farmers, the ban is said to help consumers avoid confusion. People might think they are buying a burger, while it doesn’t contain any meat. According to opponents, that’s a nonsensical argument. They point out that the ban would actually cause more confusion, as people would now have to think for themselves about how to replace meat in their meal.
Are people really confused?
The Dutch media platform Radar conducted research in 2020 on this possible consumer confusion. At our request, they carried out this study again now, five years later. They sent a survey to their panel members, which was completed over 20,000 times.
The results show that about 96% of the Dutch understand that a vegan sausage contains no meat. The remaining 4% thought that a vegan sausage is a sausage of meat, exactly the same percentage as in Radar’s previous study five years ago. Even within that small percentage, some respondents indicate that they actually do understand what it is, but just do not understand why vegetarians would want to eat a sausage.
A notable difference becomes clear in a follow-up question in the study. Although only 4% do not understand, 31% of respondents are still in favor of the ban. This could indicate that many people value the traditional idea of meat and the protection of farmers. This idea is confirmed by research showing that in Germany there is the most resistance to vegetarian products with meat names, a country with a historically large meat culture and industry.
There is also a quite large group of 28% who do understand what a vegetarian sausage is, but still find it confusing. Possibly a result of loyalty to the meat industry, but potentially also due to differences in the way the questions were asked. “When you ask people if they find something confusing, you ask them to explain their buying behavior very rationally,” explains marketing strategist Rob Revet. “Therefore, they give all kinds of statements that you often do not see in practice.”
Revet considers the first question in the study, about what a vegetarian sausage is, much more accurate. “There, a piece of knowledge is asked for, and people do not have to reflect on themselves.” A Radar researcher explains that you cannot click back to adjust your answer. This way, you get the least politically influenced answer to the main question of whether people are really confused.Let’s look back at: a veggie burger or a soy disk? Our question was also included in the new Radar study, but with a third option added: I wouldn’t buy both. Slightly more than half of respondents chose this last option, while 35% chose the veggie burger and 11% the soy disk. Although the veggie burger wins, the proportions are still different from what we saw on the street. According to Revet, this is logical, because the group of ‘hardcore vegetarians’ will not change their buying behavior due to this ban. It is the large group who sometimes eat vegetarian food that will adjust their behavior. That is why the soy disk is doing slightly better in the research Radar conducted. The non-conscious vegetarian eaters are filtered out with option 3 being ‘I wouldn’t buy both’.
Data verification
Radar sent a survey with a few short questions to their Radar Panel, which 20,638 people completed. This panel is diverse in terms of geographic distribution, education level, and gender, and is therefore reasonably representative of the average Dutch person. That does not mean the study is representative of the average European, but similar European research has unfortunately not yet been conducted.
What’s Next!
After the parliament has voted there are some steps to be taken before it can be implemented. Mendeltje van Keulen lector at De Haagse Hogeschool tells us more about this process and what this means for people living in the EU.
Dirty Politics?
Such a small amendment was put in a bigger report, so you can say this is a trick politicians use to their advantage. Van Keulen explains a bit more about what happens behind closed doors and how such a process usually works.
The impact on the plant-based sector
The European Parliament’s decision has caused disbelief among marketing experts and producers of plant-based foods. According to marketing strategist Rob Revet, the measure completely misses the point. “People who buy a vegetarian burger know perfectly well that they’re not buying meat. The confusion that politicians claim to be protecting us from is nonsense. This won’t push people towards sustainable choices it does the opposite.”
Revet explains that everyday consumers make their supermarket decisions quickly and instinctively, rather than after thorough research. “Some politicians seem to think people will just look it up. That shows zero understanding of consumer behavior. When people have to stop and think at the shelf, they’ll just grab the familiar option, which is usually meat. This isn’t about helping consumers, it’s about protecting industry interests.” He believes that the meat lobby has played a significant role in pushing the measure through. “It’s a victory for the meat industry, not for consumers,” he adds. “This is a competition being fought through politics.”
Smaller plant-based brands will be hit the hardest. “Rebranding and repackaging cost money. Big companies can handle that, but small, innovative producers can’t. It’s unfair competition dressed up as consumer protection.”
Paul Florizoone, founder of the Belgian plant-based company Greenway, confirms this. “Yes, we’ll definitely be affected. Packaging will have to change, which costs money. And unfamiliar names make it harder for new customers to understand what they’re buying.” He also has noticed that Brussels is looking for a compromise. There is talk of a diluted version of the ban, whereby specific animal terms such as ‘rib’, ‘buttock’ and ‘steak’ would be removed, while words such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ would probably be permitted to remain. “That would be a much more realistic solution. Although, you could still argue that ‘rib’ is confusing, but nowadays a burger is simply a product category”, explains Florizoone.
Nevertheless, he remains optimistic. “There’s no reason to panic. We’ll handle it creatively. This whole debate is driven by lobbying and political ideology, not by what consumers want. It’s absurd that this is even being discussed.”
Having worked in the plant-based sector for nearly 30 years, Florizoone is convinced the shift is irreversible. “People are eating less meat and more food made from plants. That’s not just a hype, it’s a structural change. This industry creates new ideas, jobs and benefits the environment. Policymakers should support that, not restrict it.”
