EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods

In a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.

What the Decision Means

Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names throughout European Union countries.

Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.

Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure

Proponents argue that customers require clear labeling and while traditional names should only describe products derived from livestock.

"A steak or a sausage are products from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor plant products," said French MEP Céline Imart.

Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision populist maneuvering.

"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Previous Efforts and Legal Context

The isn't the first effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.

The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.

Business and Consumer Reaction

Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that altering established names would mislead shoppers.

Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that most consumers understand product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegan.

"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.

What Comes Next

This proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.

Given the mixed views within various politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.