EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
During a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
If the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed across EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which remains uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers require transparent information and that meat terms must only refer to items from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not synthetic production nor plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the move unnecessary restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
This marks another attempt to control such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
France previously enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most shoppers understand product labels as long as products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This legislative measure now requires review by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions among various politicians and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
