EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
In a major decision this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names across EU countries.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, something that remains far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that customers need clear information and that meat terms must only refer to products from animals.
"A steak and sausages are products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first effort to control such terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels as long as items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of consumers understand these names as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure next faces consideration by EU member states, where it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views among both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal remains unclear.
