EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed across European Union markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, something that remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that customers require transparent information and while traditional names should only describe items derived from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production nor plant products," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move populist maneuvering.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
The marks another attempt to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
France previously introduced a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing established names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that most shoppers understand product labels when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology provided items are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure now faces consideration by EU member states, and it must obtain broad approval to become law.
Considering the mixed views within various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains unclear.
