European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
In a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names across European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that remains far from certain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers require transparent labeling and while traditional names must exclusively refer to items derived from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP CĂ©line Imart.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Judicial Background
The marks another effort to control such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago.
France previously enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure next requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.
