đź”— Share this article European Lawmakers Vote to Ban Meat-Based Names for Plant-Based Foods In a significant vote this week, European Parliament members decided by a margin of 355-247 to reserve food names including "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods. What the Vote Means Should the measure is implemented, common vegetarian products like veggie burgers, soy steak, and cauliflower schnitzel may need to be renamed throughout European Union markets. Nevertheless, for the ban to take effect, it must receive approval from most of the 27 EU member states, something that remains far from certain. The Arguments Behind the Proposal Supporters argue that consumers need transparent information and that meat terms must only describe products from livestock. "An escalope and sausages represent products from our livestock: not from laboratory art nor vegetable sources," said French lawmaker the proposal's author. Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, called the decision political tactics. "Veggie burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only certain lawmakers," declared Austria's Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Past Efforts and Judicial Context This marks another effort to regulate such terminology. The European parliament voted down a similar prohibition in four years ago. The French government previously introduced a domestic restriction on meat terms for plant-based foods in recent years, but the European court of justice determined it invalid under European legislation in this year. Business and Public Reaction Leading German retailers including Aldi and Lidl object to the measure, cautioning that altering established names would confuse shoppers. Consumer groups point to research showing that the majority of consumers comprehend product labels when products are properly identified as vegan. "Nearly 70% of shoppers understand the terminology provided products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer expert at BEUC. What Next This proposal now requires consideration by European governments, where it must obtain broad support to be enacted. Considering the mixed opinions within various lawmakers and the public, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.