EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
If the measure becomes law, common vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is uncertain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require clear information and that meat terms must exclusively refer to products derived from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," stated France's lawmaker CĂ©line Imart.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
This marks another attempt to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously introduced a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Response
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, where it must secure broad approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views among various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal remains unclear.
