European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names across European Union markets.
However, for the ban to take effect, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers require transparent information and while meat terms must only refer to products derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," said France's MEP CĂ©line Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
This marks another effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
The French government previously enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that changing established names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure next requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions among various politicians and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
