Politics & Law

Switzerland introduces labelling requirements for foods made with painful procedures

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Switzerland Introduces Labelling Requirements for Animal Products Made Using Painful Procedures

Switzerland’s Federal Council has introduced new labelling requirements for meat, eggs, and milk originating from animals that have undergone certain painful procedures without anesthesia. The following products must now display additional information about their production method: “A long way to go” The changes came into force on July 1, though there will be a transition period of two years. The declaration requirement applies to all companies that offer the affected foods, including restaurants and small businesses. The Federal Council has also just prohibited the import of fur and fur products produced through animal cruelty, once again with a two-year transition period. Last year, a new version of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) gave 93% of global food companies a low rating for …

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Danish plant-based diplomacy initiative

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Denmark Launches Plant-Based Diplomacy Initiative to Inspire the EU to Adopt Sustainable Food Policies

In 2023, Denmark became the first country worldwide to launch an official Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods. Since then, the country has allocated 1.3 billion DKK to strengthen the production and consumption of plant-based products. Steps taken so far include updating dietary guidelines to align more closely with the EAT-Lancet Commission’s planetary health diet, supporting plant-based startups, and providing continuing education for professional kitchen staff. Now, several organisations have joined forces to form the Danish Plant-Based Diplomacy initiative, which aims to inspire the European Commission, the European Parliament, and member states to pursue similar plant-based policies. The organisations involved include the Danish Food and Drink Federation (DI Fødevarer), the Danish Chamber of Commerce, the Organic Denmark Association, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, think tank …

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Ivy Farm

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UK to Provide Direct Support for Cell-Cultivated Food Companies Through New Pilot Service

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has introduced a pilot support service aimed at assisting companies in the cell-cultivated food sector with the UK market authorisation process. This initiative responds to the increasing number of companies working to bring cell-cultivated products to market, which include foods like cell-grown chicken fillets and beef burgers. The service is designed to provide guidance to businesses throughout the authorisation process, ensuring these products meet the necessary safety standards before reaching consumers. Guiding safe market entry Thomas Vincent, Deputy Director of Sandbox and Innovation at the FSA, outlined the purpose of the new service, explaining that, “The FSA’s role is to make sure all foods are safe before they are sold in UK. As …

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Texas Joins Growing List of States Enacting Cultivated Meat Bans

On June 23, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed Senate Bill 261 into law, effectively prohibiting the sale, manufacture, and distribution of cell-cultured protein products for human consumption within the state. The bill, which will take effect on September 1, 2025, also makes it a Class A misdemeanor offense to offer or sell such products, with penalties escalating to a state jail felony for repeat offenders. The law defines “cell-cultured protein” as any food product made by harvesting animal cells and replicating them in a laboratory growth medium to create consumable tissue. This action makes Texas the seventh US state to enact a ban on lab-grown meat, following similar moves in Indiana, Nebraska, Montana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The legislation’s primary intent is to …

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EU Considers Stricter Labelling Rules for Plant-Based Seafood

A new EU study has suggested that labelling rules for seafood alternatives should be stricter to make a clear distinction between conventional and plant-based products. The research analyses the seafood alternatives market, identifying 102 companies supplying 228 different products. These companies are based in 26 different countries, including 12 EU Member States. The analysis notes that plant-based seafood products were originally sold mostly in specialised shops and online, but in recent years have been supplied by major retailers in both North America and the EU. Additionally, large agrofood companies and conventional seafood producers are beginning to enter the market. 78% of the 228 products studied imitate tuna, whitefish (for fish finger-like products), salmon, shrimp, and crab, with the latter mostly sold in the North American …

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Cultivated bacon on top of a burger

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Cultivated & Fermented Foods Could Receive Increased Support Through UK Government’s Industrial Strategy

The UK government has published a new Industrial Strategy that pledges £184 million to boost the country’s engineering biology industry by building and upgrading pilot and scale-up facilities. The pledge has been made under the strategy’s Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, and could benefit producers of cultivated meat, cultivated ingredients, and fermentation-based foods. The plan specifically highlights London-based cultivated meat startup Multus to illustrate how clusters of engineering biology expertise already exist in different regions. Additionally, it explains how the UK’s cultivated meat regulatory sandbox could help to boost engineering biology. Designed to improve regulators’ scientific knowledge of cultivated meat, the sandbox is described as the first of its kind in Europe and has received £1.6 million in government funding. The plan pledges to partner …

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Swiss Supreme Court Bans Animal-Specific Terms on Vegan Product Labels

Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court has issued a final ruling that prohibits the use of animal-derived terms such as “chicken” and “pork” on the labels of vegan food products. The decision concludes a multi-year legal dispute involving Zurich-based Planted Foods and federal food safety authorities. The ruling states that references to specific animal species on plant-based foods are incompatible with national food labelling law, which requires that product information accurately reflects its contents. Terms traditionally linked to meat from animals are not allowed on vegan items, even when prefaced with qualifiers such as “plant-based” or “vegan.” According to the court, such usage constitutes consumer deception. This decision reverses a 2022 ruling from the Zurich Administrative Court, which had initially found that terms like “planted.chicken” were not …

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A cultivated chicken sandwich

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UPSIDE Foods Wins First-Round Victory in Court After Challenging Florida Cultivated Meat Ban

After filing a lawsuit against Florida’s cultivated meat ban in August of last year, UPSIDE Foods has been granted an important first-round victory by Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The ruling denies an attempt by the government to dismiss the legal challenge, meaning the case will progress in the trial court. UPSIDE’s lawsuit alleges that Florida’s cultivated meat ban violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution because it was enacted to shield in-state conventional meat producers from out-of-state cultivated meat producers. Furthermore, UPSIDE claims the ban is preempted under federal laws that regulate the interstate market for meat and poultry products. UPSIDE is represented by the nonprofit law firm the Institute for Justice (IJ). …

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World Animal Protection Canada pig

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Canada to Host National Election Debate on Animal Protection

On April 23, a virtual debate focused on animal protection policies will bring together federal candidates from four major Canadian political parties. The event, held via Zoom, will be conducted in both English and French with simultaneous translation, and is open for media observation and public registration. The debate is organized by Animal Justice, the Montreal SPCA, the Vancouver Humane Society, the BC SPCA, and World Animal Protection. It marks only the second time a national debate dedicated to animal welfare has been held during a Canadian federal election campaign. Cross-party voices join the conversation Confirmed participants include Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Liberal, Beaches—East York), Alistair MacGregor (NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford), Elizabeth May (Green Party, Saanich—Gulf Islands), and Yves Perron (Bloc Québécois, Berthier-Maskinongé). All federal parties with representation in …

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In the Wake of MAHA, Is 2025 the Year to Finance Food Fast?

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an Advisor to a food innovation ETF. She is a consultant to multi-national companies focused on sustainability and an Advisor to C-Suite interested in understanding the growth and whitespaces in the food industry. She is also the host of the podcast, The Plantbased Business Hour on iTunes and vegconomist. In a recent Upside & Impact: Investing for Change podcast episode, Elysabeth Alfano explored the urgency of food system transformation with Ertharin Cousin, CEO of Food Systems for the Future and former Executive Director of the World Food Programme. The discussion highlighted the need for smart capital, policy alignment, and a patient investment approach in the wake of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. In the Wake of MAHA, Is 2025 …

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European Commission Commits to Developing a Protein Diversification Plan

Earlier this year, European Parliament members Anna Strolenberg and Sigrid Friis wrote a letter to Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen, calling on him to develop an EU strategy on protein diversification. The letter was supported by a broad coalition of MEPs from across the political spectrum. The MEPs urged the European Commission to develop a comprehensive strategy to support alternative proteins, including targeted support to help farmers and value chain actors scale up protein crop production. They also called for strengthened investments in innovation, positioning the EU as a global leader in sustainable protein development. Now, Strolenberg and Friis have received a response from Hansen, indicating that the Commission commits to developing a comprehensive plan to tackle Europe’s protein challenges. The plan will reportedly take a …

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Mississippi Becomes Third State to Ban Lab-Grown Meat, Following Florida and Alabama

Mississippi has become the third state in the United States to enact a law prohibiting the manufacturing, sale, or distribution of cultivated meat. Governor Tate Reeves declined to sign House Bill 1006, which effectively bans lab-grown meat in the state, but because he did not veto it, the bill will still become law. The bill, passed unanimously by both the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate, will become law on July 1, 2025. It establishes penalties for violations, including a fine of up to $500 and possible jail time of up to three months. Legislative background The legislation was introduced by Republican Representatives Bill Pigott and Lester Carpenter in January 2025 and is the first anti-cultivated meat bill to pass during the current legislative session. …

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Scientists argue that a shift to plant-based diets, a global phaseout of industrialized animal farming, and a global standardization of climate change metrics are effective measures to reduce global warming.

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Climate Change Committee Report Tells UK Government to Slash Meat & Dairy Consumption

The UK government’s official climate advisor, the Climate Change Committee, has published its Seventh Carbon Budget. The report provides recommendations for reducing carbon emissions, including advice on replacing meat and dairy with alternative proteins. The recommendations include: “The right direction” A previous Climate Change Committee report published in 2023 was critical of the UK government’s progress towards adopting climate mitigation measures, noting that legislators had not set out plans to support the public in shifting to low-carbon diets. The authors found that a 20% reduction in meat and dairy consumption by 2030 could reduce emissions by 5 MtCO2e. A recent analysis by GFI Europe found that the UK government has invested £75 million in alternative protein innovation so far, making the country Europe’s second-largest public …

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Mycelium bacon on a plate - CellX unveils its mycelium fermentation programme

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New Chinese Government Documents Indicate Support for Alternative Proteins & Novel Foods

Two new documents released ahead of the Chinese government’s annual Two Sessions Summit have raised hopes of increased support for alternative proteins in the country. As reported by GFI APAC, the first document is an official notice from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs outlining “Key Areas of National Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation” for 2024-2028. It identifies agricultural processing and food manufacturing as a priority, including research into novel foods to “create a new generation of food to meet new scenarios and special needs”. The document also mentions the importance of agricultural product quality and safety, including studies to assess the safety and nutritional efficacy of alternative proteins and other novel resources. This could potentially accelerate the development of a regulatory approval framework …

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A cultivated chicken sandwich

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Georgia Bill Seeks to Restrict Meat Labeling for Plant-Based and Cultivated Products

A bill introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives aims to impose new labeling requirements on plant-based and cell-cultured meat products in the state’s food service industry. House Bill 163, sponsored by Republican Representative Jordan Ridley, would require restaurants and other food vendors to disclose whether their food contains cell-cultured meat, plant-based alternatives, or both. The proposed law would amend Article 13 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Georgia Code, which regulates food service establishments. If passed, the bill would legally define “conventional meat” as any food product “made wholly or in part from the carcass of any animal, including, but not limited to, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, fish, shellfish, and poultry.” Products containing plant-based or cell-cultured ingredients would be required to be …

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Food Industry Stakeholders & MEPs From Across the Political Spectrum Gather in Support of Protein Diversification

At a recent event at the European Parliament, food industry stakeholders such as meat processors, plant-based companies, and farmers joined MEPs from various political parties to support protein diversification. The event was centred around a new position paper from nonprofit organisation SustainableFoundations, which outlines how polarised views on the future of proteins could be reconciled to build a more sustainable future. The gathering was reportedly a great success, with over 90 stakeholders, commission members, and representatives in attendance. Speaking at the event, MEP Cabral from the European People’s Party Group said the conservatives would work towards protein diversification, adding that it was important to collaborate to develop concrete solutions. MEP Friid of Renew suggested taking inspiration from Denmark, which became the first country to adopt …

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A cultivated chicken sandwich

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South Dakota Becomes Latest US State to Propose a Cultivated Meat Ban

A legislative committee in South Dakota has put forward a bill that would ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat in the state. As reported by South Dakota Searchlight, the bill has already gained the approval of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee with an 8-5 vote. Furthermore, another bill that would restrict state spending on cultivated meat has gained unanimous approval. However, more steps are required for the bills to become law, and both will need to pass the state House of Representatives. The news comes just weeks after a bill to ensure the clear labeling of cultivated meat products passed both chambers in the state. It is currently awaiting a decision by the governor. Alabama and Florida have already banned …

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mother with daughter in supermarket

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Are Lobbyists Losing the Battle to Restrict Plant-Based Labelling in Europe?

The past few years have seen attempts by lobbyists in several European countries to restrict the way plant-based products can be labelled, with apparent success in some cases. However, recent developments indicate that the tide may be turning in favour of plant-based companies. A Czech minister recently confirmed that plans to restrict the labelling of plant-based products would be abandoned, following significant backlash from consumers and industry. The proposed restrictions would have prevented meat alternatives from being described using terms such as “burgers” or “sausages”, making it difficult for companies to market their products. In France, decrees preventing plant-based food companies from using terms such as “steak” or “sausage” have been annulled after the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that they were …

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Czech Government Abandons Plans to Restrict Labelling of Plant-Based Foods

The Czech government has abandoned a proposed amendment that would have restricted the use of terms such as “soy sausage” and “mushroom schnitzel”. It comes after the planned changes faced widespread backlash, as businesses worried about the potential negative impact on their profits and consumers feared that purchasing plant-based products would become more complicated. ProVeg Czechia and Rostlinně, a Czech project that promotes plant-based cooking, also campaigned against the amendment. “We don’t want to meddle in people’s lives,” Minister Marek Výborný announced on X last week. “I trust producers to label their products fairly so that every customer knows exactly what they’re buying. Conversely, customers are competent and know what they’re purchasing. I really don’t have the ambition to educate people.” The abandonment of the …

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La Vie ham

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France Overturns Restrictions on Plant-Based Food Labels After EU Ruling

The French Council of State has annulled two government decrees that sought to prohibit plant-based food producers from using terms traditionally associated with animal-based products, such as “steak” and “sausage.” The decision follows a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which found that such national restrictions conflict with European regulations. The legal dispute dates back to 2020, when the French Parliament introduced a law barring the use of meat-related terminology for marketing plant-based products. This was later reinforced by a government decree issued in June 2022, followed by an updated decree in February 2024. However, several companies and professional associations challenged these restrictions, arguing they were incompatible with EU law. Before making its final ruling, the Council of State sought …

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