European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a major vote this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, something that is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that consumers require transparent labeling and while traditional names should exclusively refer to products from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not laboratory art or plant products," said France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
The marks another attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that most shoppers understand product labels when products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, where it must secure majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions within various politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal is still unclear.
