EU Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
During a significant vote this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and that traditional names should exclusively describe items derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated French MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
The marks another attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that most consumers understand these names as long as products are clearly identified as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal now faces review by European governments, and it must obtain broad support to become law.
Considering the mixed opinions within both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
