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In a significant vote this week, European Parliament members voted 355 to 247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "schnitzel" exclusively for meat products.

What the Vote Means

Should the measure becomes law, common vegetarian items such as plant-based burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may have to be renamed across European Union countries.

Nevertheless, for the restriction to be enforced, it must receive support from a majority of the 27 EU member states, which remains uncertain.

Key Arguments Behind the Measure

Supporters argue that consumers need clear information and that meat terms must only describe items from animals.

"A steak and sausages are goods from our livestock: not laboratory art nor plant products," stated France's MEP Céline Imart.

Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, described the decision pointless restriction.

"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's lawmaker Thomas Waitz.

Past Attempts and Legal Context

The isn't the first attempt to regulate these terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a similar ban in 2020.

France earlier introduced a national restriction on traditional names for vegetarian products in 2020, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024.

Industry and Consumer Reaction

Major Germany's retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that altering established terms would confuse consumers.

Advocacy organizations cite research showing that most consumers comprehend these names when products are properly identified as vegan.

"Almost 70% of consumers recognize the terminology provided items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.

What Comes Next

The proposal next faces review by European governments, and it needs to obtain broad support to become law.

Given the mixed views among both lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still unclear.