🔗 Share this article European Parliament Decide to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products In a major decision this week, MEPs voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms such as "burger" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products. What the Decision Means Should this proposal becomes law, popular vegetarian products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed throughout EU countries. Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it must gain approval from most of the 27 EU countries, which remains uncertain. Key Arguments Behind the Proposal Proponents argue that customers need transparent information and that meat terms must exclusively describe items from livestock. "An escalope and sausages represent goods from our livestock: not synthetic production or plant products," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Critics, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision unnecessary regulation. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, just rightwing politicians," said Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Attempts and Legal Context This isn't the first attempt to control these terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in 2020. The French government earlier introduced a national ban on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year. Business and Public Reaction Leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, warning that changing established names would mislead shoppers. Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are properly identified as vegetarian. "Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize the terminology provided items are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Following the Vote This proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it must secure broad approval to become law. Given the divided views among various lawmakers and the public, the future of the proposal is still unclear.