EU Lawmakers Approve Ban on Meat Terminology for Plant-Based Products in Victory for Livestock Industry

European Union legislators have approved a proposal to prohibit plant-based food products from using meat-related terminology in their marketing. The measure passed with 355 votes supporting and 247 opposing during a plenary session held in Strasbourg.

Before becoming official legislation, the proposal must undergo negotiation with the European Union's 27 member states.

In recent years, European consumers have increasingly shifted toward vegetarian and vegan diets, motivated by concerns about animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming. These plant-based alternatives are often promoted as healthier options compared to regular meat consumption.

However, many European livestock farmers and their political representatives view plant-based meat alternatives as a significant threat to their already challenged industry.

"Let's call a spade a spade," stated Celine Imart, the right-wing French lawmaker who introduced the amendment, in an interview with AFP prior to the vote.

"It's everyone's right to eat alternative proteins -- made from plants, laboratories, tofu or insect flour," explained Imart, who maintains a cereal farm alongside her parliamentary duties. "But calling it 'meat' is misleading for the consumer."

Her proposal would reserve terms such as "sausage" and "burger" exclusively for food products containing actual meat.

The initiative faced opposition from Green party members and left-wing legislators, as well as key food industry stakeholders in Germany, which represents Europe's largest market for plant-based alternative products.

Some division was also evident within the center-right political spectrum, with the leader of Imart's own EPP group stating that the ban was "not at all a priority."

Nevertheless, the amendment, which received strong backing from France's livestock and meat industry organization, passed with a substantial majority.