European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products

During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.

The Vote Signifies

Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU countries.

Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is far from certain.

Key Arguments Behind the Proposal

Proponents contend that customers require transparent information and while meat terms should exclusively describe products from animals.

"An escalope or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production nor vegetable sources," stated France's MEP the proposal's author.

Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision unnecessary regulation.

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

Past Attempts and Judicial Context

This marks another attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.

The French government previously introduced a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under EU law in 2024.

Business and Consumer Response

Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse shoppers.

Advocacy organizations point to research showing that the majority of shoppers understand product labels as long as items are clearly identified as vegan.

"Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names provided products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.

What Comes Next

The legislative measure next requires consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain majority support to be enacted.

Given the divided opinions among various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal remains unclear.