Balpro, the lobby and industry association for food suppliers, has estimated that a forthcoming ban on using the term “meat” for alternative products could cost the sector hundreds of millions of euros. Claudia Hauschild, the association’s deputy chair, told “Der Spiegel” that the damage to manufacturers of meat and sausage alternatives alone would be about €250 million. The federal ministry of agriculture has not ruled out that the ban could ultimately be implemented.
For a large share of companies the affected products represent 50 % to, in some cases, 100 % of total turnover. “A naming ban would therefore threaten not only individual items but whole business models” Hauschild said. A transition period of several months would add further uncertainty, stalling investment and growth.
The costs would stem from several sources: re‑branding of products, production of new packaging, and disposal of old materials. Even larger, the industry warns that lost sales will follow because consumers will no longer instantly recognise the products, leading to fewer purchases and making it harder to attract new customers. Hauschild argued that, over the longer term, a naming ban would act as a structural growth brake and even endanger the entire category.
Balpro has already forwarded these figures to the federal agriculture ministry. “The federal government must not agree to an EU naming ban without taking the real economic consequences into account” Hauschild added. “We expect Germany to draw red lines in Brussels and push for legal certainty, consumer orientation, and policy based on facts”.
A ministry spokesperson said that Germany views the EU’s naming‑ban proposals with caution, citing the bureaucratic burdens associated with meat‑label protection and the country’s well‑established guidelines. While many EU member states broadly support the protection of meat labels, the ministry noted that it remains to be seen whether Germany can uphold its low‑bureaucracy stance within the EU framework.
The final conclusion of the “trilog” negotiations-between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission-regarding whether the ban will proceed is expected to take place in the coming weeks.