EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
The Vote Means
Should this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters argue that consumers need transparent information and that traditional names must exclusively describe items from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are products from animal farming: not from synthetic production or plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
The marks another effort to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that changing familiar names would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups point to research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
This proposal next faces review by EU member states, and it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions among both politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
