EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Means
If the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names across EU countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that remains far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers need clear information and while meat terms should exclusively describe items derived from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision political maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most consumers comprehend these names as long as items are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal next requires review by European governments, where it needs to obtain majority support to become law.
Given the divided views within both politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
