European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
If the measure becomes law, common plant-based items like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed across European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, which is uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers require transparent labeling and while meat terms should exclusively refer to items from animals.
"A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated French MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the move political maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Background
The marks another effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research showing that most consumers understand these names as long as items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure now requires review by European governments, and it must obtain broad approval to become law.
Considering the divided views among various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.
