European Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
In a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive approval from most of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that customers require transparent information and that meat terms should exclusively refer to items from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first effort to control such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering established names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal next requires consideration by European governments, where it needs to obtain majority support to become law.
Considering the divided views among both lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still unclear.
