European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Decision Means
If this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers require transparent labeling and that meat terms should exclusively describe items derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are products from our livestock: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said French MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the move political maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The marks another attempt to control such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand these names provided items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal next faces review by EU member states, and it must secure majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided views within various lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
