Terms like “filete de lubina” (sea bass filet) and “lomos de atún” (tuna loin or steak) are common on fish labels, according to Daniel Voces de Onaíndi, managing director of Europêche. The EU seafood industry trade association backs the principle behind the veggie burger ban when it comes to blocking vegetables from using words associated with meat or fish.
But ambiguity about non-English terms could ensnare fish, Voces de Onaíndi noted with alarm. He called on EU negotiators to sort out the issue during interinstitutional talks on the broader legislation, which is related to the EU’s common agricultural market.
“We hope it could be clarified … that it refers exclusively to meat products, without negatively affecting or excluding traditional seafood packaging in other sectors,” he said. “Attention must be given to ensuring the linguistic consistency across all EU languages.”
French MEP Céline Imart, who proposed European Parliament’s ban, did not respond to requests for comment.
A separate proposal from the European Commission bans more specific terms, like “wing” and “drumstick.”
Even in English, some of these “meaty” terms cross sectors. After all, anglophones eat “tuna steaks,” too. Will Nestlé have to update its famous Drumstick ice cream cones? (Unclear.) Will McDonald’s need to rename the Filet-O-Fish? (Probably not. “Filet” in English is still kosher for meat products.)