EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
The Vote Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU markets.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to receive approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters argue that customers need clear information and that meat terms must exclusively refer to products derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
This isn't the first attempt to control these names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Business and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups point to surveys showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as items are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as items are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal next requires review by European governments, where it must obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions within both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.