EU Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant vote this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
If the measure is implemented, common plant-based products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Supporters argue that customers need clear information and while meat terms should only describe products from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or plant products," said French lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first effort to control these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
France previously introduced a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing established names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand product labels when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.