European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
The Vote Signifies
If the measure is implemented, common plant-based products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names across EU markets.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Proponents contend that customers require transparent labeling and that traditional names must exclusively refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Background
This marks another attempt to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in 2020.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as items are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
This proposal now faces consideration by EU member states, where it must secure majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions among various politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal remains unclear.