European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
During a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names across European Union markets.
However, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers require transparent labeling and that traditional names should exclusively describe items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," said French MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
The marks another effort to control these names. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that most consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal now faces consideration by EU member states, where it must obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions among both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
