EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
If the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is uncertain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers require clear labeling and that traditional names must only describe products derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are goods from animal farming: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said French lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the decision pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Background
This marks another effort to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.
The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Public Response
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as products are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology provided items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure next faces review by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.
Considering the divided views within both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still uncertain.
