EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require transparent labeling and while meat terms should only describe items derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Background
The isn't the first effort to control such names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand the terminology provided products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to secure majority approval to become law.
Given the mixed views within both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative remains unclear.
