🔗 Share this article European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. What the Decision Means If the measure is implemented, common vegetarian products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout European Union markets. However, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which remains far from certain. Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal Proponents argue that customers need transparent labeling and that meat terms should exclusively refer to products from livestock. "An escalope and sausages are products from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart. Critics, including Green MEPs, called the move populist maneuvering. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Past Attempts and Legal Background This isn't the first effort to regulate these terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable 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 illegal under European legislation in 2024. Business and Public Reaction Leading Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would mislead shoppers. Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as items are properly identified as vegan. "Almost seventy percent of shoppers understand these names as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Following the Vote This legislative measure next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain majority approval to be enacted. Given the divided views within both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.