EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products

During a major decision this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.

The Vote Signifies

Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed across EU markets.

However, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain support from most of the EU's 27 member states, which remains far from certain.

The Debate Behind the Proposal

Proponents contend that customers need transparent information and that traditional names should exclusively describe items derived from animals.

"An escalope or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated French lawmaker the proposal's author.

Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless regulation.

"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Previous Attempts and Judicial Context

The marks another effort to control these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.

The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.

Business and Public Reaction

Leading Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that changing established terms would mislead shoppers.

Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels when products are clearly identified as vegan.

"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names provided products are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.

What Comes Next

This proposal now requires review by EU member states, where it must obtain majority support to become law.

Considering the divided views among both politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.