European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, common plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed throughout European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require clear labeling and while meat terms must exclusively refer to products from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government previously introduced a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research showing that the majority of shoppers understand these names as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand the terminology as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal next faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority approval to become law.
Given the mixed views among both lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
