Let It Be: Paul McCartney Appeals to EU to Drop Prohibition on Vegetarian ‘Sausages’.
The iconic artist has lent his support for the European Union to reject efforts to prohibit the use of terms such as “banger” and “patty” for meat-free alternatives.
A Contentious Ruling
The music icon has aligned with eight UK parliamentarians who have contacted the European Commission, arguing that a ban ratified in October by the European parliament would tackle a problem that doesn't exist while impeding progress on sustainability objectives.
The legislation would mean the demise for the use of labels such as steak, burger, sausage or escalope when marketing products derived from vegetables or plant-based proteins. Recommended names include the less appealing “discs” or “cylinders”.
“To stipulate that burgers and sausages are ‘vegan’ should be enough for sensible people to grasp what they are eating. This also fosters mindsets which are essential to our well-being and that of the Earth,” stated McCartney.
A Longstanding Advocate
The musician is one of the world’s most visible advocates 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 initiated the global “Vegan Monday” movement to encourage people to cut down on animal products.
These meat-free alternatives have been integral to a global shift of increased interest in products to substitute for meat, despite the fact that funding has diminished since a peak during the COVID-19 crisis.
Political Pressure
But as popularity has increased of vegan foods has come a counter-movement, especially from the lobbying farming and meat distribution industries, which are concerned about the possible impact of lower demand on jobs.
The EU Parliament decided 355–247 to outlaw “meat-associated” names from being used on vegetarian items. As stated by media, one French MEP, a representative of the centre-right European People’s party, informed the parliament: “I accept that steak, cutlet or sausage are products from our livestock farms. End of story. No laboratory substitutes, no vegan options.”
Broader Implications
The correspondence signed by the McCartneys and the British MPs argued that the ban may pressure the UK into changes as well, because the markets and regulation are still so intertwined despite the UK’s departure from the EU.
The EU has a longstanding “protected designation of origin” system for preventing businesses from benefiting from the names of products associated with certain locales, such as sparkling wine from France, Greek olives or Parma ham. But the bid to curb the use of everyday language is more controversial.
Linguistic Challenges
A number of the phrases that would be banned have malleable meanings. For example, dictionaries describe a sausage primarily in relation to meat but additionally as “an object resembling a sausage”. Further complicating the issue, the main description of “burger” is often given as a “flat round mass of ground meat or plants”.
The eight parliamentary supporters include ex- Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex- environmental party co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.
