European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products
In a significant decision this week, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters argue that customers need transparent information and while meat terms must exclusively refer to products derived from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
The marks another effort to regulate these names. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers understand product labels when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed views among various politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
