European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Vote Means
Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive support from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is far from certain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that consumers require transparent information and while meat terms should only describe products from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from animal farming: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Context
This isn't the first attempt to control these names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research indicating that most consumers understand these names when items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal now faces consideration by European governments, where it must obtain majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided opinions among various politicians and the public, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
