EU Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
During a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains far from certain.
Key Debate Behind the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers require transparent labeling and while traditional names must exclusively refer to products from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not synthetic production or plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the decision political maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first effort to regulate such names. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that most consumers understand product labels when items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as items are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This proposal now requires review by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to become law.
Considering the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
