EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Products

During a major decision this week, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.

What the Decision Means

If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout EU countries.

Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.

The Debate Surrounding the Measure

Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and while traditional names must exclusively refer to products derived from animals.

"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not laboratory art nor plant products," said France's MEP Céline Imart.

Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the decision unnecessary restriction.

"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Past Efforts and Judicial Background

This isn't the first effort to regulate such names. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020.

The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in this year.

Business and Consumer Response

Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse shoppers.

Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers understand product labels when items are clearly marked as vegan.

"Almost 70% of consumers understand the terminology provided items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.

What Comes Next

The legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, and it must obtain majority approval to become law.

Considering the mixed views within both lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.