Can you use a meat-related term for a plant-based product? That depends first on whether the term is legally protected. You cannot use a protected meat-related term for a plant-based product, even if consumers clearly understand that it is plant-based. For an unprotected term, the question is instead whether its use misleads the average consumer.

In the Netherlands and at European level, some meat-related terms already have legal protection, including meat, tartare and chopped steak. From 19 August 2029, new EU rules will reserve 32 meat-related terms for meat products. You will no longer be able to use these terms for plant-based alternatives or cultivated meat. Examples include beef, chicken, goat, drumstick, entrecôte, T-bone, bacon, steak and liver. 

What does this mean for producers of plant-based products? If you currently use one of these meat-related terms, you will need to assess well in advance whether to change your product name. Transitional arrangements apply to existing stock: you may continue selling products placed on the market before 19 August 2029, until 19 August 2032, at the latest.

But developments continue. The new rules have not even entered into force, yet proposals to amend them are already on the table. These include proposals to protect terms such as burger, sausage, nugget, schnitzel, ham and salami. Hybrid products, which combine animal-based and plant-based ingredients, may also come within scope. 

At the same time, other proposals seek to relax the rules or reverse them, in whole or in part. The debate therefore remains open: how far should the protection of meat-related terms extend, particularly in light of the shift toward more plant-based protein?

An initial vote is expected in late 2026. Which direction things will take remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the debate over meat-related terms still has plenty of chew left in it.