In a significant decision this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Decision Means
Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that consumers need clear labeling and that meat terms should exclusively describe products from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, described the move populist tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate such names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
France earlier introduced a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys showing that most shoppers understand product labels as long as products are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it must secure majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the divided views within both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
