EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
In a major decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout European Union markets.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it must receive approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, something that is far from certain.
The Arguments Behind the Proposal
Supporters argue that consumers require transparent labeling and while meat terms should only refer to items derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from animal farming: not laboratory art nor plant products," said France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
This marks another attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names provided items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal now faces review by European governments, where it must obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions among various lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
