European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a major decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters argue that consumers need transparent labeling and while traditional names must exclusively refer to items derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the move populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This marks another effort to control these names. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that the majority of consumers understand product labels when items are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, where it must secure majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions among various politicians and the public, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.
