EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods

During a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for meat products.

What the Decision Means

Should the measure becomes law, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to change their names throughout EU countries.

However, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, something that is far from certain.

Key Arguments Behind the Proposal

Supporters contend that customers require clear labeling and while meat terms should only describe items derived from livestock.

"A steak and sausages are products from animal farming: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.

Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the decision unnecessary regulation.

"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Previous Attempts and Legal Context

This isn't the first effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020.

France earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in this year.

Industry and Public Reaction

Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar terms would confuse shoppers.

Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names when items are properly identified as vegetarian.

"Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand these names as long as products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.

What Comes Next

The legislative measure next faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain majority approval to become law.

Given the mixed opinions within both lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal remains unclear.