Brussels wants to ban 'vegan bacon' – and 28 other words: 'Nonsense"

The European Commission has put forward a proposal to ban a string of meat-related terms — including “beef” and “bacon” — from being used to market plant-based products.

In total, 29 words traditionally associated with meat would be off-limits on packaging and advertising, even when it’s clearly stated that the product is vegan or vegetarian.

The move follows a recent ruling by the EU Court, which blocked individual member states from introducing such bans – effectively stopping a similar push in France earlier this year. Now, the Commission is seeking to implement a legally sanctioned, EU-wide ban instead.

Wants to ban vegan bacon

Among the words proposed to be banned are "chicken", "lamb", "ribs", "brisket", "rump steak", and "bacon" (see full list below).

Terms like "burger", "steak", and "sausage" are not on the proposal list – but there is a separate proposal in parliament to ban these words as well.

The background to the initiative, according to the EU Commission, is that meat-related terms have cultural significance and that consumers need clear information about what their food contains.

Sharp criticism

The proposal is now facing sharp criticism from the plant-based industry, which argues that it is the result of pressure from the meat lobby and goes against the EU's own goals of increasing plant-based production.

"This has been one of the key priorities for industry lobbies over the past years in an attempt to prevent consumers from trying these new products and hinder the market growth. With all the support and policies our farmers need, it amazes us that we’re still spending time and public resources on this nonsense," Rafael Pinto from the European Vegetarian Union tells the magazine Green Queen.

The proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. When a decision might come is still unclear.

The full list

Here are the 29 words the EU Commission wants to ban:

Beef

Veal

Pork

Poultry

Chicken

Turkey

Duck

Goose

Lamb

Mutton

Ovine

Goat

Drumstick

Tenderloin

Sirloin

Flank

Loin

Ribs

Shoulder

Shank

Chop

Wing

Breast

Thigh

Brisket

Ribeye

T-bone

Rump

Bacon

Source for the list here.