EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Means
Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union markets.
However, for the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers need clear labeling and that meat terms should exclusively describe items from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the decision pointless regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
This isn't the first effort to control such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of consumers understand these names provided products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This legislative measure next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed opinions among both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal remains unclear.
