🔗 Share this article EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products In a major decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products. What the Vote Signifies Should the measure is implemented, popular vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout EU markets. However, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains uncertain. The Arguments Surrounding the Measure Supporters contend that customers require transparent information and that meat terms should exclusively refer to products derived from animals. "A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the move pointless regulation. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Past Attempts and Legal Background The isn't the first effort to control these names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago. The French government previously introduced a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Business and Consumer Response Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering familiar names would confuse shoppers. Consumer groups cite research indicating that most consumers understand product labels as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian. "Almost 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote This legislative measure now requires review by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to become law. Considering the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains unclear.