EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
During a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
If the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it must receive support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require transparent information and while traditional names should only describe items derived from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated France's MEP CĂ©line Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
This isn't the first attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago.
The French government previously introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite research showing that most consumers comprehend these names when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal now faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions among various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
