European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products
In a significant decision this week, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products.
What the Decision Signifies
If this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to change their names across EU markets.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is far from certain.
Key Arguments Surrounding the Measure
Proponents argue that customers require clear information and that traditional names should only describe products derived from animals.
"An escalope or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor plant products," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the move populist tactics.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.
Previous Efforts and Legal Background
The isn't the first attempt to regulate these names. The European parliament voted down a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government earlier enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing familiar terms would mislead shoppers.
Consumer groups cite surveys showing that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are clearly marked as vegetarian.
"Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names as long as items are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
What Next
This legislative measure next faces review by European governments, where it needs to secure majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided opinions within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
