European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
During a significant decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which remains uncertain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that customers require clear information and while meat terms should only describe items derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Background
This marks another attempt to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend these names as long as products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand these names as long as items are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This legislative measure next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views among various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains unclear.
