European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products
During a major vote this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
If the measure is implemented, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers need transparent labeling and that traditional names should only describe products derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not laboratory art or plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, described the decision pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Context
This marks another effort to control such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
France previously introduced a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite research showing that the majority of shoppers understand these names as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next faces review by EU member states, and it must obtain majority support to become law.
Considering the divided opinions among various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.
