European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products
During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it must receive support from most of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters argue that consumers need transparent labeling and while meat terms should exclusively describe items from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Context
This marks another attempt to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government previously introduced a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing established names would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names when products are clearly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names provided items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal now faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed views within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.
