🔗 Share this article European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products In a major vote this week, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" solely for animal-derived foods. The Vote Means If this proposal is implemented, common plant-based products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union markets. However, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, which is far from certain. Key Debate Surrounding the Measure Proponents argue that consumers require clear information and while meat terms must only describe products from livestock. "An escalope or a sausage are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Critics, including Green MEPs, described the move populist maneuvering. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Judicial Background The marks another attempt to regulate these names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar prohibition in 2020. The French government earlier introduced a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year. Industry and Public Reaction Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that altering familiar terms would mislead shoppers. Advocacy organizations point to research showing that most shoppers understand these names as long as items are clearly marked as vegan. "Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand these names as long as items are clearly labelled plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Comes Next This legislative measure now requires review by EU member states, where it must obtain broad approval to become law. Given the mixed opinions within various politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.