🔗 Share this article EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products In a significant vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products. What the Decision Means If the measure is implemented, popular vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout EU countries. Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains far from certain. Key Debate Behind the Proposal Supporters argue that consumers require clear labeling and that meat terms must exclusively refer to products from animals. "A steak and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated France's MEP the proposal's author. Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision unnecessary restriction. "Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Judicial Context This isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar ban in four years ago. The French government earlier introduced a domestic ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in 2024. Industry and Consumer Response Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering established names would mislead consumers. Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that most consumers comprehend product labels when items are clearly identified as vegan. "Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote The proposal next faces consideration by European governments, where it must secure majority approval to become law. Considering the divided opinions within both lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.