EU postpones decision on plant-based food labels amid growing concern

While the proposal has not been withdrawn, the delay means discussions will continue into this year, creating a critical opportunity for evidence, public interest, and animal welfare to shape the outcome, rather than policies that would reinforce factory farming and slow the transition to more humane and sustainable food systems. 

Restricting how plant-based foods are labelled would make it harder for people to choose alternatives to meat — at a time when reducing meat consumption is essential to cut animal suffering, address climate change and protect nature. 

Why this delay matters for animals and the planet 

Factory farming keeps billions of sentient animals confined in intensive systems that cause widespread suffering. It is also a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and biodiversity loss. 

Plant-based foods play a vital role in helping people reduce their reliance on animal products. Familiar, transparent labelling helps consumers understand what they are buying and supports the shift towards diets that are better for animals, people and the planet. 

Claims that consumers are confused by terms such as “plant-based burger” or “veggie sausage” lack supporting evidence. Studies and market experience across Europe show that consumers deliberately choose plant-based products and clearly understand that they do not contain meat. 

A deeper imbalance in food policy 

The debate over food labelling is a distraction from the wider structural problem in the global food system. Industrial livestock production continues to receive vast amounts of public funding, despite its significant impacts on animal welfare, climate, and the environment. 

World Animal Protection’s Subsidising Factory Farm Harm Report shows how government subsidies overwhelmingly support factory farming, giving it an unfair advantage over producers and innovators developing plant-based alternatives. At the same time, investment in sustainable proteins remains limited and uneven. 

Recent analysis by World Animal Protection and its partners highlights the importance of redirecting finance towards plant-based and sustainable proteins in accelerating the protein shift necessary to reduce animal suffering and mitigate climate impacts. Without this shift, measures such as restricting plant-based food labels risk further entrenching an unbalanced system—one that protects industrial meat while hindering innovation and consumer choice. 

What needs to happen next 

As negotiations resume, World Animal Protection is calling on EU institutions and member states to: 

• Reject any ban on the use of meat-style names for plant-based foods 
• Ensure food policies support animal welfare, climate action and consumer choice 
• End public subsidies that prop up factory farming 
• Redirect subsidies towards equitable, humane and sustainable solutions – including plant-based 
• Align food regulation with the EU’s climate, biodiversity and public health commitments 

The delay in decision-making keeps the door open for progress. EU policymakers now have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to choose policies that help build food systems that are sustainable, fairer, healthier, and kinder to animals, rather than perpetuating the harms of industrial meat production.