European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products

During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products.

The Decision Means

Should this proposal becomes law, common plant-based products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names across EU markets.

However, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which is uncertain.

The Arguments Surrounding the Measure

Supporters contend that customers need transparent labeling and that meat terms should exclusively refer to products derived from animals.

"A steak or a sausage represent goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor plant products," said France's MEP the proposal's author.

Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary regulation.

"Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, just certain lawmakers," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Previous Attempts and Judicial Context

This isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in 2020.

France earlier enacted a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year.

Business and Consumer Response

Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established terms would confuse consumers.

Advocacy organizations cite surveys showing that most consumers comprehend product labels when products are clearly marked as vegetarian.

"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand these names as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC.

What Next

The proposal now faces review by European governments, where it needs to obtain broad support to be enacted.

Given the mixed views within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.