EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant decision this week, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should the measure becomes law, common plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU markets.
However, for the ban to take effect, it must receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, something that is far from certain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers need transparent information and that meat terms should only refer to products derived from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage represent products from our livestock: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the move pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
The isn't the first attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most shoppers understand these names as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand the terminology as long as products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal now requires review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions among both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative remains unclear.
