European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Means
Should the measure is implemented, popular vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that customers require clear labeling and that meat terms should only describe products from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not synthetic production nor plant products," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Background
The isn't the first effort to regulate these names. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in four years ago.
France previously enacted a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that changing established terms would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names as long as items are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided products are explicitly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal now faces review by EU member states, where it needs to obtain majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided views among both lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
