The Vegan Society of Aotearoa and the New Zealand Vegetarian Society have formally submitted a petition to ban the misleading labelling of vegetarian and vegan products.
The societies note that there is currently no legislation in New Zealand to define what counts as vegan or vegetarian, resulting in consumer confusion. Consequently, they are calling for standardised, legally enforceable labelling requirements to support consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.
The current Food Standards Code provides a foundation for food
labelling requirements, but does not make specific provisions for vegan and
vegetarian labelling. The societies argue that this is detrimental not just to vegans, but also to those with allergies to animal products such as dairy and eggs.
“We want to help consumers make ethical choices simply and easily,” said Vegan Society spokesperson Claire Insley. “If a product is labelled as ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based’, then there should be no animal products or by-products in the food. All too often foods that have these labels are then found to contain milk solids or honey etc. It is also confusing when foods have meaningless labels such ‘Less dairy’ or ‘Lower fat’; it is of no benefit to the consumer and does not help with making informed purchases.”
Eliminating ambiguity
The petition was initially launched mid-way through last year, partly in response to cases such as a frozen dessert product that was labelled as ‘more plant-based’ despite containing dairy.
As a growing number of people adopt plant-based diets, clearer regulations could become increasingly important; research indicates that New Zealand is one of just a handful of countries worldwide to have reached peak meat, with per capita meat consumption now on the decline.
“We envision a future where consumers can make informed, ethical, and confident choices about the products they purchase,” said Ina Babic of the NZ Vegetarian Society. “By advocating for clear, standardised, and enforceable labelling regulations, we aim to eliminate ambiguity and ensure transparency in the labelling of vegetarian and vegan products. The term ‘vegetarian’ should be reserved for products that contain no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Additionally, any use of animal by-products (such as gelatine, rennet, or certain colourants) should be clearly indicated.”
