European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Decision Means
If this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names throughout European Union countries.
However, for the ban to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which is uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers require transparent labeling and while meat terms should only refer to items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not from synthetic production or plant products," stated French MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Context
The marks another effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
France previously introduced a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as products are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names provided products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure now requires review by European governments, where it must obtain majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.
