EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
In a major decision this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
If this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names across European Union markets.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, which is far from certain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters argue that customers need transparent labeling and while meat terms should only describe products derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the decision pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This marks another effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France earlier introduced a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain majority support to become law.
Considering the divided opinions among various politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
