European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a major decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Means
Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it must receive support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain.
The Debate Surrounding the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers require clear labeling and while traditional names must only refer to items from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated French lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the move political maneuvering.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The isn't the first effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020.
France previously introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand these names when items are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of shoppers recognize the terminology as long as products are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Following the Vote
This legislative measure next faces review by EU member states, and it needs to secure broad approval to become law.
Given the mixed opinions among various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative remains unclear.
