đź”— Share this article EU Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products During a significant vote this week, MEPs decided 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods. What the Decision Means If this proposal is implemented, common vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU markets. Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that remains far from certain. The Debate Behind the Proposal Supporters contend that consumers need transparent information and that traditional names should only refer to items from animals. "A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said France's MEP the proposal's author. Critics, including environmental lawmakers, described the move populist tactics. "Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Efforts and Judicial Context This isn't the first attempt to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in four years ago. The French government earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in 2024. Business and Public Response Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that changing familiar names would mislead consumers. Consumer groups point to surveys indicating that most consumers comprehend these names as long as items are properly marked as vegan. "Nearly seventy percent of shoppers recognize these names provided products are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Following the Vote The proposal next faces review by European governments, where it needs to obtain majority approval to become law. Considering the mixed opinions among both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.