The European Parliament has backed a ban on calling meat-free food burgers and steaks.

Words associated with MEAT products are to be banned from the names of plant-based vegetarian products. Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of this decision, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The ban could include terms like "vegan burger" or "plant-based steak."

According to dataREUTERS , 355 lawmakers supported the proposal, while 247 voted against the ban.

"This isn't a sausage or a steak, it's simple and clear. Let's call a spade a spade," said right-wing MEP Céline Imart, who proposed the initiative.

According to Imart, who combines her parliamentary work with grain farming, the right to consume alternative proteins should be guaranteed to everyone. She cited plant-based products, laboratory-based products, tofu, and insect protein meal as such proteins. "But calling these 'meat' is misleading the consumer," the parliamentarian concluded.

According to France 24, the adoption of Imart's proposal remains a distant prospect. Even if approved by the European Parliament, the initiative would require comprehensive approval by all 27 EU member states .

The European Parliament's adopted position on the draft law does not constitute final law. For the proposal to become a binding EU legal act, it must be confirmed by the Council of the EU and, if necessary, undergo a second hearing in the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Jean-François Guiard, HEAD of the French livestock and meat industry association Interbev, said that terms related to meat products "weaken the recognition of 100% natural products."

Green Party MP Anna Strolenberg, on the other hand, stated that a ban on veggie burgers would not change anything for farmers. She also argued that the proposed ban could deprive consumers of useful information about what they're buying.

Similar initiatives have been undertaken previously. In 2020, members of the European Parliament voted against a ban on calling plant-based meat products "burgers" and "sausages."

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