🔗 Share this article European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Terms for Plant-Based Foods In a major decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. The Decision Means If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian items like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to be renamed across European Union countries. Nevertheless, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive approval from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which is far from certain. The Debate Surrounding the Measure Proponents contend that customers need clear labeling and that meat terms should only refer to products from animals. "An escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," said French MEP Céline Imart. Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move populist tactics. "Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Previous Efforts and Legal Background This isn't the first effort to regulate these terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in four years ago. France earlier introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024. Industry and Public Response Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established terms would mislead shoppers. Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that the majority of shoppers comprehend product labels when items are properly marked as vegetarian. "Nearly seventy percent of shoppers recognize the terminology provided products are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote This proposal next faces consideration by EU member states, where it needs to secure majority approval to become law. Given the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal remains uncertain.