EU parliament votes to ban meat terms for vegetarian products
- The European Parliament voted to exclusively reserve terms like steak and sausage for animal-derived products.
- Rügenwalder Mühle, a leading vegan food supplier, warned that the legislation could severely impact their business.
- The decision reflects a growing tension between traditional meat producers and the expanding plant-based market.
On October 7, 2025, the European Parliament in Belgium held a significant vote regarding the labeling of vegetarian protein products. Lawmakers voted to restrict the use of terms traditionally associated with meat, such as 'steak', 'sausage', and 'burger', exclusively to animal-derived products. This decision, with a margin of 532 votes in favor and only 78 against, aims to define meat strictly as 'edible parts of animals'. The proposal will now undergo further scrutiny in a parliamentary committee before being discussed with EU member states. In Germany, the market leader in vegan and vegetarian substitutes, Rügenwalder Mühle, expressed serious concerns over this legislation. The company projected that repackaging costs could escalate into several million euros and estimated potential losses amounting to tens of millions. Approximately 60 of their products, currently using meat-related terms, may require rebranding. They anticipate that up to 20 percent of their customer base could be lost as a result of this regulation. Rügenwalder Mühle's representative conveyed that the terminology used in their products assists consumers in understanding the flavor profiles they can expect. They argue that terms like 'schnitzel' or 'burger' do not deceive customers, but rather denote specific culinary characteristics that are well-established in the food lexicon. To support their argument, they referenced the celeriac schnitzel, which has been a staple of German cuisine for over 150 years. Notably, the ban on using meat-associated terms for vegetarian products has sparked a debate among lawmakers and companies alike. Some politicians believe that the blending of meat and plant terminologies is misleading to consumers, while others opine that consumers are discerning enough to understand the nature of these products without confusion. The proposed legislation's progress indicates a shift in the EU's approach to food labeling and consumer rights, reflecting growing tensions between traditional meat production and the expanding plant-based market.