European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a major decision this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to change their names across EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it needs to receive support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain.
Key Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that customers need clear information and that meat terms should exclusively refer to items from livestock.
"A steak and sausages are goods from our livestock: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
The marks another attempt to regulate such terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
France earlier introduced a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established names would confuse shoppers.
Consumer groups cite research indicating that most consumers comprehend product labels when products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
This legislative measure next faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to obtain broad support to become law.
Considering the divided opinions within both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
