EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
During a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which remains uncertain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters argue that consumers require clear information and while meat terms should exclusively refer to products from animals.
"A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
This marks another effort to control such terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Response
Leading Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering established names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend these names as long as products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names provided items are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided views within both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
