EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
In a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
The Vote Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to be renamed across EU markets.
However, before the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers need transparent information and that traditional names should only describe items from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Context
The isn't the first effort to control these terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that the majority of shoppers understand product labels when items are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology provided items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The legislative measure next faces review by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the mixed views within various politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
