EU Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which is uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers need clear labeling and that meat terms should exclusively describe items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are products from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
The isn't the first effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government previously introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend these names when products are clearly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand these names as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the divided views among both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.
