European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout European Union markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers require clear labeling and while traditional names must only describe items from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first attempt to control such names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government previously introduced a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most shoppers understand these names when items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers recognize the terminology as long as items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal now faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided opinions among both politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.
