🔗 Share this article European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Foods During a significant decision on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods. The Decision Means Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names throughout EU countries. However, before the ban to take effect, it needs to receive approval from most of the 27 EU member states, which is uncertain. Key Debate Surrounding the Measure Supporters argue that customers need transparent information and that meat terms should only describe items from animals. "An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not synthetic production or plant products," stated French MEP the proposal's author. Critics, including Green MEPs, described the move pointless restriction. "Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Previous Efforts and Legal Context This marks another effort to control such terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago. The French government previously enacted a domestic ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024. Industry and Consumer Response Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that altering established names would confuse consumers. Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend these names as long as products are clearly identified as vegetarian. "Nearly 70% of consumers understand these names as long as products are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote The legislative measure next requires review by EU member states, where it must obtain broad approval to become law. Considering the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of the proposal is still unclear.