EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, popular plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names throughout European Union markets.
However, for the ban to take effect, it needs to receive support from most of the EU's 27 countries, something that remains uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers require transparent labeling and that traditional names should exclusively refer to items from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are goods from animal farming: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the move political tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Context
This marks another effort to regulate these names. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The legislative measure next faces consideration by European governments, where it must obtain majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions within both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
