Veggie burgers, tofu steak and cauliflower schnitzel will be off the menu if the European parliament gets its way after a vote on food names.<\/p>\n
MEPs voted on Wednesday by 355 in favour to 247 against to reserve names such as \u201csteak\u201d, \u201cburger\u201d and \u201csausage\u201d exclusively for products derived from meat, a longstanding demand of farm unions.<\/p>\n
In order to come into effect, the idea would have to be approved by a majority of the EU\u2019s 27 member states, which is far from certain.<\/p>\n
The vote is a victory for the French centre-right MEP C\u00e9line Imart, who drafted the amendment to legislation intended to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain.<\/p>\n
Imart, who is also a cereals farmer in north-west France, said: \u201cA steak, an escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock, not laboratory art nor plant products. There is a need for transparency and clarity for the consumer and recognition for the work of our farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n
She argues the proposal is in line with EU rules that already ban the use of terms such as \u201cmilk\u201d and \u201cyoghurt\u201d<\/a> for non-dairy products.<\/p>\n The European parliament rejected a ban on meaty names for plant-based products in 2020<\/a>, but the 2024 elections shifted the parliament to the right, bringing in more lawmakers who seek close ties with farmers.<\/p>\n Opposition was led by Green MEPs, who decried what they saw as a populist move to rename plant-based foods. \u201cVeggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians,\u201d Thomas Waitz, an Austrian Green MEP, said after the vote. \u201cThis tactic is a diversion and a pathetic smokescreen. No farmer will earn more money or secure their future with this ban.\u201d<\/p>\n Even Imart\u2019s centre-right European People\u2019s party (EPP) is divided on the issue. The EPP\u2019s group leader, Manfred Weber, said before the vote that the issue was not a priority for him and lawmakers had more important things to deal with. \u201cConsumers are not stupid when they go to the supermarkets and buy their products,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The proposal is opposed by leading German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, which fear that banning familiar terms would make it \u201cmore difficult for consumers to make informed decisions\u201d.<\/p>\n Germany is the largest market for plant-based products and these businesses fear they would be particularly affected by any move to change the names of plant-based foods.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to This is Europe<\/p>\n The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans \u2013 from identity to economics to the environment<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n France\u2019s livestock sector strongly backs the proposals. \u201cWithout clear safeguards, consumers risk being misled by products that are disguised as meat but are not meat,\u201d Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Guihard, the head of Interbev, the French livestock and meat association, told AFP.<\/p>\n France introduced a ban on words such as \u201csteak\u201d and \u201csausage\u201d being applied to plant-based foods in 2020 but the European court of justice ruled the measure illegal under EU law in 2024. The original French decree<\/a> introduced a ban on 21 terms used by butchers, including \u201cham\u201d, \u201cfilet\u201d and \u201cprime rib\u201d.<\/p>\n