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.
“No-one is confused by terms such as ‘plant-based steak’, and industry pressure to argue otherwise is a waste of time and resources”
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 not compatible with EU regulations. The decrees were largely brought in due to pressure from intensive livestock farming lobbies.
Finally, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently published survey results indicating that very few consumers have accidentally purchased a plant-based product instead of meat or dairy. Since 2023, lobbyists have been campaigning for increased UK Trading Standards restrictions on the labelling of dairy alternatives, which would ban the use of terms such as “alternative to milk”, “mylk”, or “cheese” under the guise of preventing consumer confusion. However, the survey results clearly show that this is not necessary.
“Victories for common sense”
Despite this good news, the battle has not been completely won — for example, plant-based foods are still subject to increased labelling restrictions in Italy, despite the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union which says no member state can prohibit using “terms traditionally associated with animal products” for plant-based alternatives. However, the Italian government did indicate a willingness to revisit these restrictions last year, following claims they would hurt Italian businesses.
“We are heartened by developments in these three countries over the past few weeks, all of which are victories for common sense,” said Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International. “No-one is confused by terms such as ‘plant-based steak’, and industry pressure to argue otherwise is a waste of time and resources. With these latest developments, it is time to put aside petty quarrels and focus on supporting societies, particularly in the industrialized world, in actively promoting greater consumption of healthy and sustainable plant-based food.”
She added, “I would now encourage governments to develop and implement comprehensive Action Plans for Plant-Based Foods, as pioneered by Denmark, so that energy is channeled into creating a future food system that is healthy, tasty, and climate-friendly.”
