EU lawmakers insist that lab-grown meat does not make burgers

This week the European Union Parliament I voted for For an amendment that would prohibit vegetarian and vegan products from using terms including “burger” and “sausage.” But the proposed ban goes further, and would also prevent cell-cultured meat — also known as lab-grown products — from using the same terminology.

RegulationsPassed by lawmakers by 355 votes to 247, it still must pass the EU Commission and member state governments before it becomes law. But if so, it would require terms including “steak,” “burger,” “sausage,” and even “egg whites” to be “reserved exclusively for products containing meat.” This is a non-exhaustive list, and the legislation is intended to cover all names currently used for meat products.

But the bill is also clear that meat terminology “shall exclude cell-cultured products,” which could pose a problem for the booming cultured meat industry. A “lab-grown steak” doesn’t have the same effect as a “hamburger,” and while the industry is still a long way from perfecting lab-grown steaks, it would like to be able to call it that once it does.

This restriction was proposed with the aim of supporting European ranchers, and with the support of an increasingly right-wing parliament, but it actually happened bidder By supermarkets, climate groups, and even Burger King. A similar measure was voted down in 2020, but the EU has a precedent here, having done so Prohibit the use of dairy terms Such as “milk” or “cheese” for vegetarian alternatives.