🔗 Share this article European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods In a significant decision this week, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products. The Vote Means Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could need to be renamed across European Union markets. Nevertheless, for the ban to be enforced, it must gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, something that remains far from certain. The Debate Surrounding the Proposal Proponents contend that customers require transparent labeling and while traditional names should exclusively refer to items derived from animals. "A steak or a sausage represent products from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor plant products," stated France's lawmaker Céline Imart. Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the move unnecessary restriction. "Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only rightwing politicians," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Attempts and Legal Background This marks another attempt to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in four years ago. France earlier introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Business and Public Reaction Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing established names would confuse shoppers. Advocacy organizations point to surveys indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels as long as items are properly identified as vegetarian. "Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology provided products are clearly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Comes Next The legislative measure now requires consideration by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted. Considering the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.