🔗 Share this article EU Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. The Vote Signifies If this proposal is implemented, popular plant-based items like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names across EU markets. Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it must receive support from most of the EU's 27 countries, which remains uncertain. Key Arguments Behind the Proposal Supporters contend that consumers need clear information and that traditional names should only refer to items derived from animals. "An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not from synthetic production or plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, led by Green MEPs, called the decision political maneuvering. "Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Past Attempts and Legal Background This isn't the first attempt to control such terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020. France earlier introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024. Business and Consumer Response Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would confuse shoppers. Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegan. "Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Following the Vote The proposal next requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted. Given the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.