The European Union said companies can give meat-like names to vegetarian products even if they have no meat. The EU debated whether or not a veggie burger is a burger. Europe's largest farming group wanted to ban names like burger, sausage and steak in vegetarian food. It said this was "misleading and unfair marketing" that damaged farmers and meat companies. It called for the millions of farmers and livestock sector workers to be respected.
A consumer group called the decision "common sense". It said consumers are not confused by soy steaks or chick pea-based sausages because they are labelled as vegetarian. It said terms like "burger" and "steak" help consumers understand how to plan their meals. Greenpeace wondered why livestock farmers were confused by the name veggie burger. It tweeted: "If they're confused by the word 'veggie burger,' what do they think a 'hot dog' is?"