European Parliament Votes To Restrict Meat Terms On Vegetarian Products

European Parliament members voted Wednesday to prohibit vegetarian products from using meat-related labels like “steak” or “burger.” The measure defines meat as “edible parts of animals” and restricts terms including steak, escalope, sausage, and burger to animal-based products only. German conservative lawmaker and former farmer Céline Imart argued that using meat terms for vegetarian products misleads consumers. “I think that terms should speak for themselves and should mean what they mean,” Imart said during Tuesday’s parliamentary debate. Austrian MEP Anna Stürgkh from the liberal NEOS party disagreed, noting “A beef tomato doesn’t contain any beef” and called for trusting consumers while criticizing “hot dog populism.” (Story URL)