EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names throughout European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from most of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Supporters argue that consumers require transparent information and while traditional names must exclusively describe products from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision populist tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first effort to control these terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Response
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering established terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups point to surveys showing that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as products are properly identified as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next faces review by European governments, where it must secure broad approval to become law.
Given the divided opinions within various politicians and the public, the future of the proposal remains unclear.
