Ban on names such as sausage or steak for vegetarian and vegan substitute products

The European Parliament has voted on a proposal for a regulation that includes simplified EU agricultural rules and a number of points to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain. It proposes a revision of several regulations in order to improve the position of producers - for example through new contract regulations, more precise definitions of terms such as "fair", "equitable" and "short supply chain" as well as through adjustments to competition law. In addition, greater consideration should be given to sustainable development, fair pay and the protection of rural areas. Shown here is the vote on a sub-item of the regulation that received particular attention and was controversially discussed even before the vote. Terms such as steak, schnitzel, sausage, etc. will in future only apply to animal products and will no longer be allowed to be used for vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Terms such as “tofu sausages”, “soy schnitzel” or “veggie burger” would be banned in the future. Proponents argue that there is a risk of confusion between animal and plant foods. Attention: The voting results shown on the right only reflect the voting behavior of the 96 German MEPs and not that of all 720 MEPs. The proposal was approved overall with 355 votes in favour, 247 against and 30 abstentions. Of the German MEPs, 20 voted for and 61 against. Opinions differed, particularly within the EPP group, with both approval and rejection. Christian Doleschal abstained.

Vote breakdown