European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods
In a major decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for meat products.
What the Decision Means
Should this proposal becomes law, common vegetarian items such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, something that is uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that customers require clear information and that traditional names should exclusively describe products derived from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage are products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Context
The isn't the first attempt to control these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand these names when products are clearly identified as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of consumers understand these names provided items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
The legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, where it needs to secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions among both politicians and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.
