European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
The Vote Signifies
If this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers require transparent labeling and while meat terms must exclusively describe products from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Background
This marks another attempt to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
France earlier enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This proposal now faces consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority support to become law.
Considering the mixed views among various politicians and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.