EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union countries.
However, for the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that customers need transparent information and while meat terms must only describe items derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are products from our livestock: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision political tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Context
This isn't the first attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering familiar terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend product labels as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Nearly 70% of consumers understand these names as long as items are explicitly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal next requires review by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed views among various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.
