European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Vote Means
Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout EU countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 member states, which remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that customers require clear labeling and while traditional names should exclusively refer to items derived from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
This marks another effort to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously enacted a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most shoppers understand product labels when items are properly identified as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers understand these names as long as items are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal next faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to secure majority support to become law.
Considering the mixed views among various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
