đź”— Share this article European Lawmakers Decide to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Products During a major vote on Wednesday, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods. What the Vote Signifies Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to change their names across European Union countries. However, before the ban to take effect, it must gain support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which remains uncertain. Key Debate Surrounding the Proposal Proponents argue that consumers require clear labeling and while traditional names must exclusively describe items from animals. "An escalope and sausages are goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," stated France's MEP CĂ©line Imart. Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the move pointless regulation. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," said Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Judicial Context The isn't the first effort to control such names. The European parliament rejected a comparable prohibition in 2020. The French government previously enacted a national ban on traditional names for plant-based foods in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under European legislation in 2024. Business and Public Reaction Leading Germany's retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, warning that altering familiar terms would confuse shoppers. Consumer groups point to surveys showing that most consumers understand these names as long as products are properly marked as vegan. "Almost seventy percent of consumers recognize the terminology as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Comes Following the Vote This proposal now faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad support to become law. Given the divided views within both lawmakers and the general population, the outcome of this initiative is still unclear.