During a major vote on Wednesday, European Parliament members decided 355 to 247 to reserve food names such as "steak" and "schnitzel" solely for animal-derived foods.
Should the measure is implemented, popular plant-based products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel may have to be renamed across EU countries.
Nevertheless, for the restriction to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the EU's 27 member states, which remains far from certain.
Proponents contend that customers require clear information and that traditional names should exclusively refer to products from animals.
"A steak or a sausage are goods from our livestock: not from synthetic production or vegetable sources," said France's lawmaker Céline Imart.
Opponents, including environmental lawmakers, described the move pointless restriction.
"Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse shoppers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
The marks another effort to regulate such names. EU lawmakers rejected a comparable ban in four years ago.
The French government previously enacted a domestic ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in 2020, but the European court of justice ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Major Germany's supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl oppose the measure, warning that altering familiar terms would confuse shoppers.
Advocacy organizations cite research indicating that most shoppers comprehend these names as long as items are properly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost 70% of consumers recognize the terminology as long as items are explicitly marked vegan or vegetarian," noted Irina Popescu, a food policy officer at BEUC.
The proposal next requires consideration by European governments, and it must secure majority approval to become law.
Considering the divided opinions among both politicians and the public, the outcome of this initiative remains uncertain.
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