🔗 Share this article European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods During a major decision this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. The Vote Means Should this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union markets. Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which remains uncertain. Key Arguments Behind the Measure Proponents contend that customers need transparent information and while meat terms should exclusively describe products from livestock. "An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor plant products," said French MEP Céline Imart. Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the decision political tactics. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Legal Background This marks another effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in four years ago. The French government previously introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024. Business and Public Reaction Major Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing familiar names would confuse shoppers. Consumer groups point to research indicating that most shoppers understand these names when items are properly identified as vegetarian. "Almost seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote The legislative measure now faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted. Given the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.