EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
The Decision Means
Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names across European Union markets.
However, for the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the 27 EU countries, which remains uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers require clear information and while meat terms must only describe products from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move populist maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
This marks another effort to regulate these names. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers understand these names as long as items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names provided items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal now faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to secure majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided views within both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains unclear.
