EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods

In a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.

What the Vote Signifies

If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU markets.

Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it needs to receive approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is uncertain.

The Arguments Behind the Measure

Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and while meat terms must only refer to items derived from livestock.

"A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," said French lawmaker the proposal's author.

Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision pointless regulation.

"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Previous Efforts and Judicial Context

The isn't the first effort to control such names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in four years ago.

The French government earlier introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.

Business and Consumer Response

Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.

Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels as long as items are clearly marked as vegetarian.

"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize the terminology as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.

What Comes Next

The proposal next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.

Considering the divided opinions within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.