European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
In a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
If this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names across EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need clear information and that meat terms should exclusively describe products from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor plant products," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
The isn't the first attempt to control these names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering established names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names as long as items are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand these names provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal next faces review by EU member states, and it must obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
