đź”— Share this article European Parliament Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods During a significant decision on Wednesday, European Parliament members voted by a margin of 355-247 to restrict product terms including "steak" and "sausage" solely for meat products. The Vote Signifies Should this proposal is implemented, popular vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and cauliflower schnitzel could have to be renamed throughout EU markets. Nevertheless, before the ban to be enforced, it needs to gain approval from a majority of the 27 EU countries, something that remains far from certain. The Debate Surrounding the Measure Proponents argue that customers require transparent information and while traditional names should exclusively refer to products from livestock. "An escalope and sausages are products from animal farming: not synthetic production or vegetable sources," said French lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, led by environmental lawmakers, called the decision political tactics. "Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and soy sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Judicial Context This isn't the first effort to regulate such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020. The French government earlier enacted a national ban on traditional names for vegetarian products in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under EU law in this year. Business and Public Reaction Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl oppose the proposal, warning that changing established terms would mislead shoppers. Consumer groups point to research indicating that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are clearly marked as vegan. "Nearly 70% of shoppers recognize these names provided products are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC. What Following the Vote This proposal next faces review by EU member states, where it must secure broad approval to become law. Considering the divided opinions within various politicians and the general population, the outcome of the proposal remains unclear.