European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products
During a major decision this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Decision Means
If the measure is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU countries.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers require transparent labeling and while meat terms should only refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated French MEP CĂ©line Imart.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move unnecessary regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Context
This marks another attempt to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
This proposal next faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to secure majority support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions within both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
