European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Means
If the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Proposal
Supporters argue that consumers need transparent information and that meat terms must only describe items from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," said French lawmaker CĂ©line Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the move unnecessary restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
This marks another attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
France previously introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels when items are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided products are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure now faces review by European governments, and it must secure broad approval to become law.
Given the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
