EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers need clear labeling and that meat terms must exclusively refer to items derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
The marks another effort to control such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Public Response
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite research showing that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names provided items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal now requires consideration by EU member states, where it needs to secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided views within both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.
