🔗 Share this article EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Foods During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods. The Vote Signifies If the measure becomes law, common plant-based items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed across European Union markets. Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it must gain approval from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains far from certain. The Debate Surrounding the Proposal Supporters argue that customers require clear information and that traditional names must exclusively refer to products derived from animals. "A steak and sausages represent products from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated French lawmaker Céline Imart. Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision populist tactics. "Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Legal Context This isn't the first attempt to regulate these names. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in four years ago. France previously introduced a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Business and Consumer Response Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing established terms would mislead consumers. Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most consumers understand these names as long as products are clearly identified as vegan. "Nearly 70% of consumers recognize 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 requires review by European governments, and it needs to secure majority support to become law. Considering the mixed views within various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.