European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need clear information and that meat terms should exclusively describe products from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are products from animal farming: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
This marks another attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
France previously enacted a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as items are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, and it must obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions within various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.