European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names throughout European Union countries.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that is uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that customers need transparent information and while traditional names should only refer to products from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage are products from our livestock: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated French lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously enacted a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that most consumers understand these names when items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers understand the terminology provided items are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal next faces consideration by EU member states, where it needs to obtain majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
