EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, common plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to change their names across European Union countries.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that customers need transparent labeling and that meat terms should exclusively refer to products from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are products from animal farming: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The marks another effort to control such names. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Response
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most consumers comprehend these names as long as products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure next faces consideration by European governments, and it must obtain broad approval to become law.
Considering the mixed views among both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.
