🔗 Share this article European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods During a major vote this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. The Decision Signifies If the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could need to change their names throughout EU countries. Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains uncertain. Key Arguments Behind the Measure Proponents argue that consumers need transparent labeling and that traditional names must exclusively refer to items from livestock. "An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated French MEP Céline Imart. Opponents, including Green MEPs, described the decision political tactics. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Legal Background This marks another attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in 2020. France previously enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024. Business and Public Reaction Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would confuse shoppers. Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most consumers understand product labels as long as products are properly marked as vegan. "Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly marked plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Next This proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it must secure broad approval to be enacted. Given the divided views among both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.