European Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must gain support from most of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and while meat terms should exclusively refer to products derived from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, described the decision populist tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
This marks another attempt to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand the terminology provided items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal now faces review by EU member states, and it needs to secure majority support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.
