EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods
During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
The Decision Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that is uncertain.
The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal
Supporters contend that customers need transparent labeling and that traditional names should exclusively refer to items derived from animals.
"A steak and sausages are goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor vegetable sources," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the decision pointless restriction.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
This marks another effort to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020.
The French government previously introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024.
Industry and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering familiar names would mislead consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand these names when items are properly marked as vegan.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This legislative measure next faces consideration by EU member states, and it must secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.
