🔗 Share this article EU Lawmakers Decide to Ban Meat-Based Terms for Vegetarian Products In a significant decision this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products. The Decision Means If the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed across EU markets. Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is far from certain. Key Debate Behind the Proposal Supporters argue that consumers require transparent labeling and that traditional names should only describe products derived from animals. "A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art or plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart. Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move political maneuvering. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Previous Efforts and Legal Context This marks another attempt to control such terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar ban in four years ago. The French government previously introduced a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts determined it invalid under European legislation in this year. Business and Consumer Reaction Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers. Consumer groups cite surveys showing that the majority of shoppers understand these names as long as products are properly identified as vegan. "Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize these names as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote The legislative measure next requires review by European governments, and it must secure majority approval to become law. Given the divided opinions within both politicians and the general population, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.