Overview

• The Parliament approved the naming curbs by 355–247, aiming to reserve terms such as burger, schnitzel, steak and sausage for meat products without banning plant-based foods.
• One day after the vote, the Strasbourg canteen listed a “Veganer Burger,” which dpa reported sold out before lunch ended, with parliamentary sources noting menus are set in advance under current law.
• The initiative was tabled by conservative MEPs in the European People’s Party, drew support from groups to the right including the AfD’s bloc, and still saw 31% of EPP members vote against it.
• Critics including Green MEP Michael Bloss and German Green politicians Lisa Badum and Robert Habeck called the move a culture-war distraction, while the meat trade association backed it and WWF warned against slowing a growing market for alternatives.
• A YouGov survey of about 4,200 adults in Germany found 50% want names like schnitzel or sausage used only for animal-based products, with plant-based versions labeled differently.