European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
In a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which is uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require transparent information and that traditional names must exclusively describe items derived from animals.
"An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision political tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
The marks another effort to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing familiar names would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that the majority of consumers understand these names when products are clearly marked as vegan.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names provided items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
The proposal now requires consideration by EU member states, and it needs to secure majority approval to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions within both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.
