🔗 Share this article EU Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Related Names for Vegetarian Products During a major vote this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. What the Vote Means If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to change their names across European Union markets. Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, which is uncertain. Key Debate Behind the Proposal Proponents contend that customers need clear labeling and that meat terms must only refer to items from livestock. "An escalope and sausages are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production nor plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart. Critics, including Green MEPs, called the decision political tactics. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Judicial Background This marks another effort to regulate such names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in four years ago. France earlier introduced a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year. Business and Public Reaction Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, cautioning that changing familiar names would mislead shoppers. Consumer groups cite surveys indicating that most shoppers comprehend product labels as long as products are properly marked as vegan. "Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize these names provided items are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Comes Next This legislative measure next requires consideration by EU member states, where it needs to secure majority support to become law. Considering the divided views among both lawmakers and the general population, the future of this initiative remains unclear.