EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products
During a significant vote this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it must receive support from most of the EU's 27 member states, which remains uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Proponents contend that consumers need clear labeling and that traditional names must exclusively refer to items from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the decision pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
The marks another effort to control these terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government previously enacted a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that most shoppers understand these names as long as products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal next requires consideration by EU member states, and it needs to secure majority approval to become law.
Given the divided opinions within both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
