EU Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
The Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union countries.
However, for the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and that meat terms must only describe items from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not laboratory art or plant products," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a domestic restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Response
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most consumers comprehend product labels as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as products are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure next requires review by European governments, where it needs to secure majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions within both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
