Leading UK and EU brands have today (13 February) sent a joint letter to representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union urging policymakers to maintain the current regulatory approach for plant-based product labelling.
The letter highlights the potential negative impact of proposed restrictions on commonly used food terms such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ ahead of 5 March, when the EU is set to decide on a potential ban.
The letter follows previous interventions on this issue, including a letter sent to Members of the EU Commission in early December 2025, signed by eight UK MPs and supported by Paul McCartney and his family.
Linda McCartney Foods is one of over 20 brands and organisations leading the call to protect plant-based terminology, along with others including Cauldron, Quorn Foods and THIS.
The businesses stress terms like ‘plant-based burger’ and ‘vegetarian sausage’ serve as “practical tools for consumers, helping shoppers navigate products, understand preparation methods, and make informed choices.”
They add that removing such terms would not increase clarity but could create confusion, particularly given differences in international labelling norms.
Rebecca Fairbairn, marketing and strategy director HED and meat free at The Hain Celestial Group, which supplied Linda McCartney products, said: “When Linda started the brand over three decades ago it was with a clear mission to help make it even easier to choose a meat free meal.
“These familiar terms have been used in the category without issue for almost 40 years, providing a recognisable reference while also clearly communicating they are without meat. Banning these would add a level of confusion for shoppers that would be of benefit no one.”
David Flochel (left), CEO of Quorn Foods, added: “At a time when Europe faces the urgent challenges of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and the need to fix our unsustainable food system, it’s regrettable that energy continues to be spent revisiting an issue that consumers settled long ago.
“We’re concerned these new restrictions risk creating unnecessary confusion…”
“While we fully support rules that prevent misleading claims, we’re concerned these new restrictions risk creating unnecessary confusion and regulatory burden for both manufacturers and consumers.”
In the new letter, the businesses call on representatives to maintain the current regulatory approach, which already ensures consumer protection and clarity, avoid introducing terminology restrictions that could fragment markets and to continue “prioritising alignment with international trading partners.”
While this decision is being made at EU level, the UK could also be impacted through UK-EU trade deals. A recent YouGov survey was carried out to show attitudes of the UK public, and results show that over 90% of respondents (92%) have never bought, or cannot recall buying, a plant-based sausage or burger thinking it contained meat.
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