EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names across European Union countries.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
The Debate Behind the Proposal
Supporters argue that consumers require clear information and that traditional names should only describe products from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most consumers understand product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names provided items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal next requires consideration by European governments, where it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views among various lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
