EU Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products
In a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it must receive support from most of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters argue that consumers need clear information and while meat terms must exclusively refer to items from animals.
"An escalope and sausages are goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art nor plant products," said French MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the move populist maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
This isn't the first effort to control such names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as products are clearly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize the terminology as long as items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions among various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.