🔗 Share this article EU Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products During a major decision this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "burger" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods. The Vote Means Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products such as veggie burgers, soy steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU countries. However, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that remains far from certain. The Arguments Surrounding the Proposal Proponents argue that consumers need transparent information and while meat terms should only describe products from animals. "A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not from laboratory art or plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the move pointless restriction. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Attempts and Legal Background The marks another attempt to regulate these terminology. The European parliament rejected a similar prohibition in 2020. The French government previously enacted a national restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it invalid under European legislation in this year. Business and Public Reaction Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that altering familiar names would mislead shoppers. Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of consumers understand product labels when products are properly identified as vegetarian. "Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize these names provided products are clearly 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, where it must obtain broad approval to become law. Given the mixed views among both politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative remains unclear.