European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
In a significant vote this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that is uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and that traditional names must exclusively refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
The marks another effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it illegal under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Response
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research showing that most shoppers understand these names as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Almost 70% of consumers recognize the terminology as long as products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure now requires review by European governments, where it needs to secure majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the divided views among various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.
