EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products
In a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
If the measure is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout European Union markets.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive support from most of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need transparent information and while traditional names must exclusively describe items from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the move pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Background
The isn't the first attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
The French government previously introduced a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that changing familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups point to research indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The proposal next faces review by European governments, and it must obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal is still unclear.