EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products

During a significant decision this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.

What the Vote Signifies

Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout EU markets.

However, before the ban to take effect, it must gain support from most of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain.

Key Debate Behind the Measure

Proponents contend that consumers need transparent information and that meat terms should only describe items derived from animals.

"A steak and sausages are products from our livestock: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated French MEP Céline Imart.

Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist tactics.

"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Past Efforts and Legal Background

This marks another effort to control these terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020.

France earlier introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year.

Industry and Public Reaction

Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.

Advocacy organizations point to research showing that most consumers comprehend product labels as long as items are clearly marked as vegan.

"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.