EU Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a significant decision this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names across EU markets.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
The Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers need transparent information and that meat terms should exclusively refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak and sausages are products from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor plant products," stated French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the decision unnecessary restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
The isn't the first attempt to control such names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Public Response
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend product labels when products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure next requires consideration by European governments, and it must obtain majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions within both politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
