European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products
During a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names across European Union markets.
However, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers require clear labeling and while meat terms must exclusively refer to items from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP CĂ©line Imart.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
This marks another effort to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Response
Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that the majority of shoppers understand product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided products are clearly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure now requires review by EU member states, and it needs to secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions among both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
