EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, for the ban to take effect, it needs to receive approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, which is uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers require clear information and that traditional names should exclusively describe items from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage are products from animal farming: not laboratory art or plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision political tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The marks another attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Reaction
Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most consumers understand these names when items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize these names as long as products are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, and it must secure majority support to become law.
Given the divided opinions among both politicians and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
