EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names across EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it must gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers need clear information and that traditional names must exclusively refer to products derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not laboratory art or plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
The isn't the first effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Leading Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal now requires consideration by EU member states, and it must obtain broad approval to become law.
Considering the divided views within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.
