EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names throughout EU countries.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Supporters contend that consumers need clear information and that meat terms should exclusively refer to items from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move unnecessary restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first attempt to control such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Response
Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups point to surveys showing that most shoppers understand product labels when items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize the terminology provided products are explicitly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal now faces consideration by EU member states, where it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within various politicians and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
