Let It Be: The Music Legend Appeals to EU to Abandon Restriction on Vegetarian ‘Sausages’.

The iconic artist has lent his support for the European Commission to turn down a move to prohibit the use of words such as “banger” and “burger” for meat-free alternatives.

A Divisive Decision

The music icon has joined forces with eight members of parliament who have petitioned the European Commission, arguing that a ban approved in October by the European Parliament would tackle a non-issue while slowing progress on environmental targets.

These proposed regulations would mean the demise for the use of terms such as steak, burger, sausage or escalope when referring to products made of vegetables or plant-based proteins. Suggested alternatives include the less appetising “rounds” or “cylinders”.

“To stipulate that burgers and sausages are ‘plant-based’ should be adequate for sensible people to comprehend what they are eating. This also promotes attitudes which are crucial to our well-being and that of the planet,” stated McCartney.

A Vocal Supporter

Sir Paul is one of the world’s most high-profile proponents of a meat-free lifestyle. He and his late wife launched the Linda McCartney meat-free food line in 1991, and he and their daughters Stella and Mary launched the global “Monday Without Meat” movement to inspire people to eat less meat.

Linda McCartney sausages and burgers have been a key component in a global movement of increased interest in products to act as meat alternatives, even if funding has declined since a boom during the coronavirus pandemic.

Political Pressure

However, alongside the rise of plant-based products has come a backlash, particularly from the politically powerful livestock and meat industries, which are anxious about the possible impact of reduced consumption on livelihoods.

The European Parliament ruled 355–247 to forbid “meat-associated” names from being used on plant-based products. As stated by media, Céline Imart, a member of the centre-right European People’s party, stated to the parliament: “It is my view that steak, cutlet or sausage are products from our livestock farms. End of story. No synthetic alternatives, no plant-based products.”

Wider Consequences

The correspondence backed by the McCartneys and the UK politicians argued that the ban might compel Britain into similar measures as well, because the economic and legal frameworks are still so interconnected despite the UK’s exit from the EU.

The EU has a well-known “protected designation of origin” system for blocking businesses from benefiting from the titles of products linked to particular regions, such as champagne, Greek olives or Parma ham. But the bid to limit the use of common words is much more debated.

Linguistic Challenges

Many of the terms that would be proscribed have flexible definitions. As an illustration, reference books describe a sausage primarily in relation to meat but secondly as “an object resembling a sausage”. Even more problematically, the key meaning of “burger” is often given as a “flat round mass of chopped animal or plant matter”.

The eight politicians backing the letter comprise former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex- environmental party leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.