EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products

In a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.

The Vote Means

If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets.

However, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains uncertain.

Key Debate Behind the Measure

Proponents argue that consumers require transparent information and that meat terms must only refer to products derived from animals.

"A steak or a sausage are products from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated French lawmaker Céline Imart.

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

"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Previous Efforts and Judicial Context

The marks another attempt to control such names. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago.

France earlier introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.

Industry and Consumer Response

Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would confuse consumers.

Consumer groups point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand product labels as long as products are properly identified as vegetarian.

"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.

What Following the Vote

This proposal next requires review by EU member states, where it needs to secure broad support to become law.

Given the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.