🔗 Share this article European Parliament Vote to Prohibit Meat-Related Terms for Vegetarian Products In a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to reserve product terms such as "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products. What the Decision Means If this proposal becomes law, popular plant-based items such as veggie burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets. However, for the restriction to be enforced, it needs to gain support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which remains far from certain. Key Debate Behind the Measure Supporters contend that consumers need clear information and that meat terms should exclusively refer to items from livestock. "A steak and sausages are goods from animal farming: not from synthetic production or plant products," said France's lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, led by Green MEPs, described the move unnecessary restriction. "Plant-based burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead shoppers, just rightwing politicians," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz. Previous Efforts and Legal Background This isn't the first effort to regulate such names. The European parliament rejected a similar ban in four years ago. France previously enacted a national restriction on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under European legislation in this year. Industry and Public Response Leading Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that changing familiar terms would confuse consumers. Consumer groups cite surveys showing that most shoppers comprehend these names when products are properly identified as vegan. "Almost 70% of shoppers recognize these names as long as items are clearly labelled vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC. What Following the Vote The legislative measure now faces review by EU member states, and it needs to obtain broad approval to be enacted. Considering the mixed opinions among various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative remains uncertain.