EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a significant decision this week, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Signifies
If the measure is implemented, common plant-based products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU countries.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that is uncertain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers need clear information and that meat terms should exclusively describe products derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, described the decision populist maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Business and Public Reaction
Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering established terms would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal next requires consideration by European governments, and it must obtain majority support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
