EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Signifies
If the measure is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed across EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains far from certain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need transparent labeling and that meat terms should exclusively refer to items derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are products from animal farming: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," said French lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
The isn't the first effort to control these terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This proposal next faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority approval to become law.
Given the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
