EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products
During a major vote this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Signifies
Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout EU countries.
However, for the ban to be enforced, it must receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need transparent labeling and while traditional names should exclusively describe products derived from animals.
"A steak and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first attempt to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020.
France previously enacted a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Consumer Reaction
Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would confuse consumers.
Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend these names as long as products are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of shoppers understand the terminology as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This proposal next faces consideration by EU member states, where it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted.
Considering the divided opinions among both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.
