European Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require clear information and that meat terms should only refer to products from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not laboratory art or plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand these names as long as products are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize the terminology provided items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure next requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
