EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that remains far from certain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that customers require transparent information and while meat terms should only describe items derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," said French MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move populist tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
This marks another effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
France previously introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering familiar names would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research indicating that most consumers understand these names as long as products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal now faces review by European governments, and it needs to secure broad approval to become law.
Given the divided views within both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.
