European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
If this proposal is implemented, common plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
However, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive support from most of the 27 EU countries, which remains far from certain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers need clear information and that traditional names should only describe products derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said French lawmaker Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
The isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government previously introduced a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that the majority of consumers understand these names when items are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology provided products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
This proposal next faces review by European governments, and it needs to secure majority support to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions among both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.
