European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union markets.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters argue that consumers require transparent information and while traditional names must only refer to products from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor plant products," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the move political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Background
The marks another effort to control such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
France previously enacted a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
The proposal now requires consideration by European governments, and it needs to secure broad support to become law.
Given the divided opinions within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.