🔗 Share this article European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products During a major vote this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products. What the Vote Signifies Should this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union markets. However, for the ban to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the EU's 27 countries, something that remains uncertain. The Debate Behind the Measure Proponents argue that customers need clear information and that meat terms must only describe items from livestock. "A steak or a sausage represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art or vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Critics, led by Green MEPs, described the decision political maneuvering. "Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Legal Context The isn't the first attempt to control these names. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago. The French government previously introduced a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Industry and Public Reaction Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers. Advocacy organizations point to surveys showing that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels when products are clearly identified as vegan. "Nearly 70% of consumers understand these names provided products are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Following the Vote The proposal next requires review by European governments, where it must obtain majority approval to become law. Given the divided opinions within both politicians and the general population, the future of the proposal is still unclear.