European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods

During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.

What the Vote Signifies

Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU markets.

Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains far from certain.

Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal

Supporters argue that customers need clear information and that meat terms must exclusively describe items from livestock.

"An escalope or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production nor plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author.

Critics, including Green MEPs, described the move political maneuvering.

"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.

Past Attempts and Judicial Context

The isn't the first attempt to regulate these names. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in 2020.

France previously introduced a domestic ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts determined it illegal under European legislation in 2024.

Business and Consumer Response

Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.

Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that most shoppers understand product labels when items are properly identified as vegetarian.

"Nearly seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology provided items are explicitly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC.

What Next

This proposal next faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to secure broad support to be enacted.

Considering the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.