Balpro, the lobby and industry association for the meat‑alternative sector, estimates the financial impact of a potential naming ban on meat substitutes at a figure in the three‑digit millions range.
“For manufacturers of meat and sausage alternatives alone, we are talking about around €250 million in damage” said Claudia Hauschild, deputy chair of Balpro, in an interview with “Der Spiegel”. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has not ruled out that a ban might actually be enacted.
For many companies, the affected products accounted for more than 50 %-in some cases up to 100 %-of total sales. A naming ban would therefore threaten not just individual items but entire business models. Hauschild warned that conversion periods of several months would add uncertainty, stifle investment and hamper growth.
The association lists several cost drivers: changing product names, producing new packaging and disposing of old stock. A heavier burden would come from lost revenue, as consumers would no longer recognize the products immediately and would buy them less frequently, especially making it harder to attract new customers.
“In the long term, a naming ban is a structural growth brake that could endanger the entire category” Hauschild concluded.
Balpro has transmitted these figures to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. “The federal government must not agree to an EU naming ban without taking the real economic consequences into account” she said. “We expect Germany to draw red lines in Brussels and to push for legal certainty, consumer orientation, and evidence‑based regulation”.
A spokesperson from the ministry stated that Germany views the EU’s naming‑ban plans critically. “Our criticism stems partly from the bureaucratic burdens linked to meat‑label protection and from the well‑established principles already in place in Germany”. Although many EU member states largely support the proposals for meat‑label protection, it remains to be seen whether Germany can maintain its low‑bureaucracy stance.
Final trilogue negotiations-where the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission must agree on whether the ban proceeds-are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
