🔗 Share this article European Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products In a major decision this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. The Decision Signifies If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout European Union markets. Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain. The Debate Behind the Measure Proponents contend that customers need transparent labeling and that meat terms must only refer to products from livestock. "A steak or a sausage are products from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart. Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the move political maneuvering. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Past Attempts and Judicial Background This isn't the first attempt to control such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in 2020. France earlier introduced a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Business and Consumer Reaction Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing established terms would mislead shoppers. Consumer groups point to research showing that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as items are clearly identified as vegan. "Nearly 70% of consumers recognize the terminology as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Comes Next The proposal next requires review by European governments, where it must obtain majority support to become law. Given the divided views within various politicians and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.