EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names across EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that is uncertain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers require transparent labeling and while meat terms must exclusively describe items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, described the decision political maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
This isn't the first attempt to control such names. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that most shoppers comprehend product labels as long as items are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next requires consideration by EU member states, and it must obtain majority support to become law.
Considering the divided views within both lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal is still unclear.
