EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a significant decision this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
The Vote Means
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names across EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Measure
Proponents contend that consumers require transparent information and that meat terms should only describe products derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
The isn't the first attempt to control these terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend product labels as long as products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The legislative measure now faces review by EU member states, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions among both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.
