The European Parliament (EP) has voted to ban meat names from plant-based products sold across the European Union, the BBC reported this week.
The 355-247 majority vote called for a ban on using words like burger or steak to describe plant-based products, in a move that livestock farmers will see as a victory.
Implementation of the ban is not yet certain, however, as the proposal needs the backing of the European Commission, as well as the governments of 27 member states to become law.
The plant-based industry has exploded in recent years, as consumers aim to reduce their meat intake, although, more recently, concerns over ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have threatened variants such as veggie burgers or meat-free steaks.
Under the proposal, other labels – like egg yolk, egg white and escalope – will be restricted to products that contain meat, while the EU has already defined dairy items as products coming from the ‘normal mammary secretion’, including products like milk, yoghurt and cheese.
Oat milk, for example, is now labelled as ‘oat drink’ on Irish and EU shelves.
Greens and liberal lawmakers have criticised the bill, calling it “useless”, while environmentalists have said that the ban will negatively impact sustainability progress.
The proposal has also been criticised by food industry figures in Germany, which is the largest market for plant-based products in the EU, according to a report by the Good Food Institute of Europe.
German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl have pushed back against the proposal in a joint letter, which noted that banning ‘familiar terms’ would make it ‘more difficult for consumers to make informed decisions’.
The French government, meanwhile, strongly supports the move.
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