EU Parliament bans 'vegan steak' labels but allows veggie burgers and sausages

The vote

Lawmakers in Strasbourg adopted the new rules with 560 votes in favour, 75 against and 25 abstentions. The text defines meat as 'edible parts of animals' and prohibits the use of labels that refer to a particular animal species or cut of meat on plant-based and cell-cultured products. The ban still requires formal approval by EU member states before it can take effect.

“This is a victory for our producers, for their expertise and for the clarity owed to consumers.”

The decision marks a win for livestock farmers who argued that plant-based foods mimicking meat risk misleading consumers and harming their sector. The measure is part of a larger package designed to strengthen the position of agriculture in the food supply chain.

What stays, what goes

Terms tied to a specific animal or carcass part, among them 'pork', 'chicken', 'turkey', 'duck', 'lamb', 'veal', 'steak', 'bacon', 'ribs', 'chops', 'shoulder' and 'liver', are now reserved for meat from slaughtered animals. The same restriction applies to lab-grown and cell-based products.

Descriptive names that refer to a preparation method remain untouched. Consumers can still find 'tofu sausage', 'celery schnitzel', 'veggie gyros' and, most prominently, 'veggie burger' on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus. A compromise hammered out in March between the Parliament and the Council stopped short of a wider crackdown that would have swept up generic terms such as 'burger' and 'sausage'.

Reactions

Germany, Europe's largest market for plant-based alternatives, pushed back strongly. Food retailers and the alternative-protein industry warned that forced rebranding would create unnecessary costs and complicate marketing. German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer said consumers were already savvy enough to know that a veggie schnitzel contains no meat.

“We would have wished that no new regulation had been introduced at all.”

The labelling debate drew in figures beyond the farm lobby. Former Beatle and long-time vegetarian Paul McCartney added his voice to the campaign defending soy steaks and tofu sausages. Austrian Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig welcomed the final compromise, summing up the principle behind the new rule.

“Where it says meat, there must be meat inside. Vegetarian chicken legs do not exist.”

Timeline and outlook

The regulation has its roots in a December 2024 Commission proposal that responded to large-scale farmer protests in Brussels and several member states. Lawmakers and Council representatives reached a political deal in March 2026, and the June 16 plenary vote gave the package its parliamentary green light. Once the Council gives formal approval, food companies will have up to three years to adapt their packaging and marketing. The rules themselves are set to expire at the end of 2027, aligning with the next review of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, so further negotiations are already underway.

EU consumption of plant-based meat alternatives has grown fivefold since 2011, according to the BEUC consumer organisation, driven by concerns over animal welfare, climate emissions and health. The labelling fight is therefore far from over as the market continues to expand.