European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
In a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and while traditional names must exclusively refer to items from animals.
"A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Context
This marks another attempt to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar ban in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels when items are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand these names provided items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal now faces review by European governments, and it must obtain broad approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions within both politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.
