Overview

• The Parliament is scheduled to vote Wednesday in Strasbourg on an EPP-backed amendment to reserve names like “burger,” “schnitzel” and “wurst” for foods that contain meat, following support in the agriculture committee.
• Lead sponsor Céline Imart argues the change is needed to avoid consumer confusion, reflect different nutrition profiles, and protect farmers and culinary traditions.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer publicly back the restriction, saying vegan products should not carry traditional meat names.
• Consumer groups including BEUC, Foodwatch and Germany’s consumer association oppose the ban, while Aldi Süd, Lidl, Burger King Germany and Rügenwalder Mühle warn in a joint letter that forced renaming would confuse shoppers and hurt sales.
• Any approval would still require negotiations with EU member states before becoming law; Germany currently permits such terms with clear vegan or vegetarian labeling, and Rügenwalder estimates rebranding costs in the low millions with possible double‑digit million euros in annual revenue losses.