EU Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
During a major decision this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Means
Should the measure becomes law, common plant-based items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which is uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and while meat terms must exclusively refer to products from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the move pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
The isn't the first effort to regulate these names. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of consumers understand these names as long as items are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The legislative measure next requires review by European governments, where it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Given the divided views among both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
