European Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Foods

During a significant decision this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.

What the Vote Signifies

Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union countries.

However, for the ban to take effect, it must receive support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain.

Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal

Proponents argue that consumers require transparent labeling and while traditional names must exclusively describe products derived from livestock.

"An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," said French lawmaker Céline Imart.

Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision pointless restriction.

"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Previous Efforts and Legal Background

The marks another attempt to control such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in 2020.

France earlier introduced a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.

Business and Public Response

Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering familiar terms would confuse shoppers.

Consumer groups point to surveys showing that the majority of shoppers understand product labels as long as products are clearly identified as vegan.

"Nearly seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided items are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.

What Next

The proposal next requires review by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad support to become law.

Considering the divided opinions among various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.