European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
What the Vote Means
Should the measure is implemented, common vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed across EU countries.
However, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Proponents argue that consumers require clear labeling and that meat terms should only refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Attempts and Legal Context
This marks another attempt to control these names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago.
France previously introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Consumer Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering familiar terms would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that most shoppers comprehend product labels when items are properly marked as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand these names as long as items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to become law.
Given the divided opinions within various politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.
