🔗 Share this article EU Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Based Names for Vegetarian Products During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. What the Vote Means Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based items like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to be renamed across European Union markets. However, for the ban to take effect, it must receive approval from a majority of the EU's 27 countries, something that is uncertain. The Arguments Behind the Measure Supporters contend that consumers require transparent labeling and while traditional names should exclusively refer to products derived from animals. "An escalope and sausages represent products from animal farming: not from laboratory art nor vegetable sources," stated French lawmaker Céline Imart. Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision populist maneuvering. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Efforts and Judicial Context The marks another attempt to regulate these names. EU lawmakers voted down a similar ban in 2020. France earlier enacted a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in this year. Business and Consumer Reaction Leading Germany's supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that changing familiar names would confuse shoppers. Advocacy organizations point to surveys showing that the majority of shoppers understand these names when products are clearly identified as vegetarian. "Almost 70% of shoppers understand these names as long as products are explicitly labelled plant-based," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Comes Next This proposal now faces consideration by European governments, where it needs to secure broad support to become law. Given the divided opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.