EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Means
If the measure is implemented, common vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed across European Union countries.
However, for the ban to take effect, it must gain approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains far from certain.
The Debate Behind the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and while meat terms should only describe products derived from livestock.
"An escalope and sausages are goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago.
France earlier enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most consumers understand product labels when items are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as items are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure next faces consideration by European governments, and it must secure majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided views within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
