EU Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
The Decision Signifies
Should the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that is uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that consumers require transparent labeling and while meat terms must exclusively refer to products derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or plant products," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar ban in four years ago.
France previously enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Response
Major Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as items are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The legislative measure now faces review by European governments, and it must secure majority approval to become law.
Given the mixed opinions within both lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
