EU member states are not permitted to stop food manufacturers labelling vegetarian foods with ‘meaty’ terminology, a European court ruled today (4 October).
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has established that vegetarian products can use terms such as steak, sausage, escalope and burger, provided that a country has not established a specific legal name for a vegetable protein-based food.
In February, France made another attempt to ban domestic manufacturers from using meat-related descriptors for plant-based foods. The French government had already tried to pass a similar decree in 2022.
The association Protéines France, the European Vegetarian Union (EVU), the Vegetarian Association of France (AVF) and the meat-alternative major Beyond Meat all contested the French government’s latest moves and the matter passed to the ECJ.
The ECJ acknowledged that existing EU law already offers sufficient consumer protection, “meaning that additional national regulations setting limits on vegetable protein content for using certain names would not be allowed”, according to the EVU.
EU judges have now ruled that although member states can establish legal names for food products – meaning they can assign specific terms to certain food items, including plant-based alternatives – if they choose not to, they cannot prohibit manufacturers of plant-based protein foods from using general descriptive terms to label their products.
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Rafael Pinto, EU policy manager at the EVU, stated: “We are very happy with the no-nonsense conclusion provided by the ECJ. This marks an important step in guaranteeing that consumers have accurate and transparent information about the products they purchase.
“It will also discourage other EU countries from attempting to enforce name bans that are ultimately counterproductive, self-damaging and creating greater consumer confusion.”
The court emphasised that its ruling does not impact a member state’s power to enforce consumer protection laws when it deems marketing to be misleading.
Pinto added: “Today’s ruling from the ECJ not only protects consumers, but also safeguards the integrity of the single market.
“By ensuring clarity in food labelling, we can promote plant-based alternatives and work towards achieving environmental targets as well as boost EU competitiveness and innovation.”
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