European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Means
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which remains uncertain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers need clear information and that meat terms must exclusively refer to items from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the move populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
This isn't the first effort to control these names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as products are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal next requires review by EU member states, where it needs to secure broad support to become law.
Considering the divided views among both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.
