🔗 Share this article European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods. What the Vote Signifies Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names throughout EU countries. However, for the restriction to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which remains far from certain. Key Debate Behind the Proposal Supporters contend that customers need transparent information and while traditional names must only refer to items from livestock. "A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor plant products," said French lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, including Green MEPs, called the decision unnecessary restriction. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Legal Background This marks another attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in 2020. The French government previously introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Industry and Consumer Reaction Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing familiar terms would mislead shoppers. Advocacy organizations cite research showing that most shoppers understand these names when items are clearly marked as vegan. "Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as items are explicitly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC. What Comes Next The legislative measure now requires consideration by EU member states, where it must obtain broad support to become law. Given the mixed opinions among both lawmakers and the public, the outcome of the proposal remains uncertain.