🔗 Share this article European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products In a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods. What the Vote Signifies If the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian products such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets. However, for the restriction to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, which is uncertain. The Debate Behind the Measure Proponents contend that customers require transparent labeling and while traditional names must exclusively describe items from livestock. "A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," stated France's MEP Céline Imart. Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the move populist tactics. "Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just certain lawmakers," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Judicial Background This marks another attempt to control such names. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable prohibition in 2020. The French government earlier introduced a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024. Business and Consumer Response Major German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established terms would confuse consumers. Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most consumers understand product labels as long as items are properly marked as vegetarian. "Nearly 70% of consumers recognize these names provided products are explicitly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote The proposal now requires consideration by EU member states, where it needs to obtain majority support to be enacted. Given the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.