European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods
In a significant decision this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve food names including "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
What the Decision Means
Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that remains uncertain.
The Debate Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that customers require transparent information and that meat terms should exclusively describe items derived from livestock.
"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production nor plant products," said French MEP the proposal's author.
Critics, led by Green MEPs, called the decision unnecessary restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Attempts and Judicial Context
This marks another effort to regulate these names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in 2020.
France previously enacted a national restriction on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024.
Business and Public Reaction
Leading German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing familiar terms would confuse consumers.
Advocacy organizations cite research showing that the majority of shoppers understand these names as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.
"Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.
What Comes Next
This proposal next requires review by EU member states, and it needs to secure broad approval to become law.
Considering the divided views among both politicians and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still uncertain.
