EU Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
The Vote Means
If this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it must receive support from most of the 27 EU countries, something that remains far from certain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that customers need clear information and while meat terms must only describe items from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," said France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
This isn't the first effort to control these terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
France previously introduced a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups point to research showing that the majority of consumers understand product labels when items are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to secure majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions within various politicians and the public, the future of this initiative remains unclear.
