European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers require transparent information and while meat terms should only describe products from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
The marks another attempt to control these names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize the terminology as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure now requires consideration by EU member states, where it must secure majority support to become law.
Considering the divided views within both politicians and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.