EU Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need transparent labeling and while traditional names must only refer to items derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated French MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
The isn't the first effort to regulate such names. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government previously introduced a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Major Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal now faces consideration by EU member states, where it must secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
