EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Means
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that consumers need clear information and while traditional names must only refer to products from animals.
"An escalope and sausages are products from our livestock: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Context
This isn't the first effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize the terminology provided products are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal now faces review by EU member states, where it must obtain majority approval to become law.
Given the mixed opinions among various politicians and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
