EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
If the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout European Union countries.
However, for the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Proponents contend that customers need transparent labeling and while traditional names must only describe items from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated French MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
The marks another attempt to regulate these names. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously enacted a national ban 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 Public Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering established terms would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that most shoppers comprehend product labels when products are clearly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand these names as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This legislative measure next requires consideration by EU member states, where it must secure broad approval to become law.
Given the divided opinions among both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
