EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union countries.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 member states, something that is uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Proposal
Supporters argue that customers need transparent labeling and while meat terms should exclusively describe items derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art nor plant products," said French MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the move pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Judicial Background
This marks another effort to control such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously introduced a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of consumers understand these names as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Following the Vote
The legislative measure next faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain majority support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions among both lawmakers and the general population, the future of the proposal is still unclear.
