European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Foods

During a significant decision this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for meat products.

The Decision Signifies

Should this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed throughout EU countries.

Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain.

The Debate Surrounding the Measure

Supporters argue that customers need transparent labeling and that traditional names must only refer to items from livestock.

"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.

Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision populist tactics.

"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Previous Efforts and Judicial Context

The isn't the first effort to control such names. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020.

France earlier introduced a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.

Business and Public Reaction

Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar terms would confuse consumers.

Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend these names when products are clearly marked as vegetarian.

"Nearly 70% of consumers understand the terminology provided items are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.

What Next

The legislative measure now faces review by EU member states, and it must secure majority support to be enacted.

Given the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.