100,00 signatures against veganburger ban

The petition against the veganburger ban reached the milestone of 100,000 signatures last Sunday, 4 October 2020. The ProVeg Foundation wants to prevent a new EU law from banning names of meat substitutes such as 'vegan schnitzel' because they resemble those of real meat too much. On Animal Day, the petition got the upper hand thanks to an item in the show Sunday with Lubach. 

Discs and tubes

"The vegaburger ban may soon cause vegetarian burgers and sausages to be renamed 'slices' and 'tubes'. Even a precise definition as 'vegetable alternative to yoghurt' would then no longer be allowed. What sounds like a April Fool's joke, was actually proposed by the European Parliament on 1 April 2019 and still keeps stakeholders in the food industry busy a year later," says Veerle Vrindts, Director of ProVeg Netherlands.

Negative consequences

"At the end of last year, the Dutch government actually spoke out in favour of the use of meat names on vegetarian products. It is not yet clear whether the European Parliament will do the same. The vote will take place in the week of 19 October. According to Vrindts, if the ban were to come into effect, it could have 'long-term harmful effects on the vegetable sector'. "Action is needed on the part of politicians, the food industry and consumers in order to stop the regulations," according to the foundation.

100,000 signatures against ban

There was no lack of action. More than 100,000 people expressed their indignation at the possible ban by signing the petition. There are also more and more voices from the business community against the ban. "We see that meat processing companies are also taking a critical look at the proposal," says Vrindts. More and more companies and brands that used to market only meat are now fully committed to the vegetable trend. Zwanenberg, for example, brought vegan liver pate onto the market and the vegetarian Unox sausage is very popular. Some Dutch meat companies are now even fully vegetarian oriented, including Vivera.

Sunday with Lubach

It was the broadcast of Sunday with Lubach on Sunday 4 October that really gave the discussion the momentum. More than 1.7 million viewers saw live how Lubach hammered the meat lobby. In his fake campaign film there is an example of an ignorant consumer who accidentally ate a veggie burger. She ate it, liked it and is now thinking about limiting her meat intake. Lubach makes fun of the possible confusion to conclude with the slogan 'You have to murder to call it a burger'. With the addition that this message was 'approved' by the International Meat Industry. Shortly after the broadcast, the signatures flooded in.

The petition can still be signed on proveg.com