European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods

During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.

The Vote Signifies

Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU countries.

Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must receive support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.

The Debate Behind the Measure

Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and while meat terms must only refer to items derived from livestock.

"A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.

Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the move unnecessary restriction.

"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Past Efforts and Judicial Background

The isn't the first attempt to control these names. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020.

The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in this year.

Business and Public Response

Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.

Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.

"Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize these names provided items are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.

What Following the Vote

The legislative measure now requires review by EU member states, where it needs to obtain broad support to become law.

Given the mixed views among various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative remains unclear.