EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Means
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed across European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers require transparent information and that meat terms should exclusively describe items from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
This isn't the first attempt to control such names. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in 2020.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Business and Public Reaction
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names when products are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names provided products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The legislative measure next requires consideration by EU member states, where it must secure majority approval to become law.
Given the mixed opinions among both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.
