EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed across EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, something that is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers need transparent labeling and that meat terms must only refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are products from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
The isn't the first effort to control such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
France previously introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names when items are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers 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 European governments, and it needs to secure broad support to become law.
Given the divided views among various lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
