EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
If the measure is implemented, common plant-based products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union countries.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, something that is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that customers require transparent information and while traditional names should only refer to products from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
This isn't the first attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names when items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal next faces review by European governments, where it needs to obtain broad approval to become law.
Given the mixed opinions within various politicians and the public, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
