EU Parliament votes to ban terms like ‘veggie burger’ and ‘vegan sausage’

European lawmakers have voted to ban the use of meat-related terms like veggie burger, vegan sausage and tofu steak for plant-based foods.

The European Parliament approved the proposal on Wednesday, with 355 votes in favor and 247 against. The proposed ban still needs to be approved by a majority of the EU’s 27 member states.

If the law is finalized, only products containing animal meat will be allowed to use names such as burger, steak, escalope, and sausage.

Plant-based versions would need new names, which could confuse consumers and impact companies selling meat alternatives.

“These kinds of products exist to replace animal products. Because that’s better for the animals and better for the climate,” Arjen Lubach, a Dutch television presenter and known for his critical and humorous take on current affairs, said on his show Lubach.

Lubach added that he doesn’t eat meat because he doesn’t like it, but because it’s cruel to animals and bad for the environment.

“I’d also prefer real bacon because it tastes better. But then an animal has to die, and I think that’s sad. So if I want to eat kale with bacon, I look for a vegetarian product that resembles bacon. That’s why those vegetarian products have meat-like names. It’s not misleading. It’s just helpful,” he said.

Oat milk is now oat drink

This vote is part of a larger EU law designed to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain.

The amendment was proposed by French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Céline Imart, who is also a farmer. She argued that meat names should be reserved for animal products and that the public needs clearer labels.

“A steak, an escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock, not laboratory art nor plant products,” she said, adding that the rule would help give farmers more recognition.

The EU already has similar rules for dairy terms. For example, “milk” and “yoghurt” can only be used for products made from animal milk. That’s why oat milk is usually sold as “oat drink”.

Not everyone agrees with the proposal. Green MEPs strongly opposed the vote, calling it a “populist” move that distracts from real problems farmers face.

“Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians.” Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz said.

No confusion campaign

The campaign No Confusion, supported by over 400 organizations across 22 countries, is calling on the EU to withdraw the proposal that would ban around 29 meat-related terms from being used on plant-based product labels.

It explains that this move could confuse consumers rather than protect them, harm the fast-growing plant-based sector, and slow Europe’s transition to more sustainable diets. 

The campaign emphasizes that most consumers are not misled by current labeling and that existing legislation already protects transparency.