European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "sausage" solely for meat products.
What the Vote Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names across European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to receive support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is far from certain.
Key Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers need clear information and while traditional names must only refer to items derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the move unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Background
The isn't the first effort to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
The French government earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would mislead consumers.
Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal now requires consideration by EU member states, and it must secure majority support to become law.
Considering the mixed opinions among both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
