EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Means
Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout European Union markets.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 member states, something that is far from certain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that customers require transparent labeling and that meat terms must exclusively describe items from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
This isn't the first attempt to regulate such terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering established terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that most consumers understand these names as long as products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology provided items are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal now faces consideration by EU member states, and it must secure broad approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed views within both politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.
