EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that customers need transparent labeling and that traditional names must exclusively refer to products derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said French MEP CĂ©line Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first effort to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Response
Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that most consumers comprehend these names when items are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as items are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure next faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to secure majority support to become law.
Given the mixed views among both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative remains unclear.
