Overview

• MEPs voted 355–247, with 30 abstentions, to reserve terms like burger, schnitzel, steak and wurst for animal‑origin products as part of a wider package on farm protections.
• The measure is not yet law and will be hashed out with the 27 member states, against a legal backdrop that includes an ECJ ruling limiting broad national bans on meat‑style names for plant products.
• The amendment was tabled by French conservative Céline Imart, who argues it boosts consumer clarity and recognizes farmers’ work, but the issue split the center‑right EPP, with many CDU/CSU MEPs voting against.
• Consumer groups such as BEUC and Foodwatch say shoppers are not confused, and major retailers and producers including Aldi Süd, Lidl, Burger King, Rügenwalder Mühle and Beyond Meat signed a letter opposing the change.
• Industry warns of costs, with Rügenwalder Mühle estimating mid single‑digit millions of euros for rebranding, while the vote was bundled with rules like written contract requirements intended to strengthen farmers in the supply chain.