European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a major decision this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names across EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains uncertain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers need transparent labeling and while meat terms should exclusively describe items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the move pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
This marks another effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government previously enacted a domestic restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names as long as items are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal next faces review by EU member states, where it must secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the mixed views within various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still unclear.
