European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
The Decision Means
Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names across EU markets.
Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains uncertain.
Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents contend that consumers need clear labeling and while meat terms must exclusively describe products from livestock.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
This marks another attempt to regulate these names. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
France previously enacted a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that changing familiar names would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend product labels when items are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names as long as products are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal now faces review by European governments, and it must obtain majority support to become law.
Considering the divided views within various politicians and the public, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.
