During a significant decision this week, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
If the measure becomes law, popular plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it must receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers need clear labeling and while traditional names must exclusively refer to items derived from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the decision political tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
This marks another effort to regulate these names. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in 2020.
France earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in this year.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups point to research showing that the majority of shoppers understand product labels when items are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal next requires consideration by EU member states, where it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
