European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products

During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods.

What the Vote Signifies

Should the measure is implemented, common vegetarian items like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names across EU countries.

Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that is far from certain.

Key Debate Surrounding the Measure

Supporters contend that customers need transparent information and while traditional names must exclusively describe products from animals.

"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart.

Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the move unnecessary regulation.

"Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Past Attempts and Judicial Background

The marks another attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in four years ago.

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

Industry and Consumer Reaction

Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would confuse shoppers.

Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend these names as long as products are clearly identified as vegan.

"Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.

What Comes Next

This legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad approval to become law.

Given the mixed views within various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.