European Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
The Vote Means
Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, something that is uncertain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and while meat terms must exclusively refer to items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move unnecessary restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Background
This marks another effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government previously enacted a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering familiar names would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
This proposal next faces review by EU member states, and it needs to secure majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided views among various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.