EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
During a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
The Vote Means
Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that is uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Proposal
Proponents contend that customers need transparent information and that traditional names should only refer to items derived from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the move pointless regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020.
France earlier introduced a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Response
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that changing established terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels when items are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal next faces review by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad support to become law.
Given the divided opinions among various lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
