EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products

During a major vote this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.

The Decision Signifies

If this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU countries.

Nevertheless, before the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains uncertain.

Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal

Proponents argue that customers require clear information and that traditional names should exclusively refer to products from livestock.

"A steak or a sausage are products from our livestock: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.

Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move pointless restriction.

"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Previous Efforts and Judicial Context

This marks another attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in 2020.

The French government earlier enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in 2024.

Business and Public Reaction

Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing familiar terms would confuse consumers.

Advocacy organizations point to research showing that most consumers comprehend product labels when items are properly identified as vegan.

"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.

What Following the Vote

The proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain majority approval to become law.

Considering the mixed views among various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.