đź”— Share this article EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Plant-Based Products During a major decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. What the Vote Signifies Should this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based products such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU countries. However, before the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain support from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains uncertain. Key Arguments Behind the Proposal Supporters contend that customers require transparent labeling and while traditional names must only refer to items from livestock. "An escalope or a sausage represent goods from animal farming: not from laboratory art or plant products," stated France's MEP CĂ©line Imart. Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the move unnecessary restriction. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Legal Context This isn't the first effort to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020. The French government earlier enacted a domestic restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024. Industry and Consumer Response Major Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established names would mislead shoppers. Advocacy organizations point to surveys showing that most consumers understand product labels when items are properly identified as vegan. "Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology provided products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy expert at BEUC. What Following the Vote The legislative measure now requires consideration by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted. Considering the divided opinions within both politicians and the general population, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.