European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, common plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union countries.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers require transparent information and that meat terms should exclusively describe products from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not laboratory art or plant products," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, described the move unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
This marks another attempt to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in four years ago.
France previously introduced a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are properly identified as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology provided products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal next faces consideration by EU member states, and it needs to obtain majority support to be enacted.
Considering the divided views among both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
