European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Foods
In a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Means
Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based items like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, which remains far from certain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Proponents argue that consumers need clear information and that traditional names should exclusively refer to items from livestock.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
The marks another attempt to control such terminology. The European parliament voted down a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously introduced a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.
Business and Public Response
Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels as long as items are properly identified as vegan.
"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize the terminology provided products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal next faces review by EU member states, where it must obtain majority support to be enacted.
Given the mixed views among various politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
