European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
In a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names across EU markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Supporters contend that consumers require clear information and that meat terms should only refer to products from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production nor plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move political tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
The marks another effort to control these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under EU law in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend these names when products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names as long as items are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure now requires consideration by EU member states, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.
