EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
The Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, popular plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names throughout European Union markets.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to receive support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers require transparent labeling and while meat terms must only describe products from animals.
"A steak and sausages are products from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision political maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Background
This marks another effort to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government previously introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Response
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that most consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names provided items are clearly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure now requires review by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority support to become law.
Given the mixed views among various politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
