đź”— Share this article European Lawmakers Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Foods During a significant vote this week, MEPs voted by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "sausage" exclusively for meat products. What the Decision Signifies If the measure becomes law, popular plant-based items like veggie burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout EU countries. However, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to receive support from a majority of the EU's 27 member states, which remains far from certain. The Debate Surrounding the Proposal Proponents contend that customers require clear labeling and that traditional names should only describe items derived from animals. "A steak and sausages are goods from our livestock: not from synthetic production nor plant products," said France's MEP CĂ©line Imart. Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision political maneuvering. "Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Legal Background This isn't the first attempt to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers rejected a similar ban in 2020. France earlier enacted a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in 2024. Industry and Public Reaction Major German supermarkets including Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, cautioning that changing established terms would confuse shoppers. Advocacy organizations cite surveys indicating that most shoppers comprehend product labels when products are clearly marked as vegan. "Nearly seventy percent of shoppers understand the terminology as long as products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," said Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Comes Next This legislative measure now faces consideration by EU member states, and it needs to secure majority support to become law. Considering the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still uncertain.