EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products
In a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.
The Decision Means
Should this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to be renamed across European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that remains uncertain.
The Arguments Behind the Measure
Proponents contend that consumers require transparent information and while meat terms must exclusively refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor plant products," said France's MEP Céline Imart.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the move political tactics.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Legal Context
The marks another effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government earlier introduced a domestic ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Response
Leading Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as items are properly identified as vegan.
"Nearly 70% of shoppers understand these names provided products are explicitly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure next requires review by European governments, and it must secure majority support to be enacted.
Given the mixed opinions among both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.
