EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names across European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is uncertain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and while traditional names should only refer to products derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Background
The marks another effort to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Public Response
Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that the majority of shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand these names provided products are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal next faces consideration by EU member states, where it needs to secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions among various lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
