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EU Court Upholds Meat-Related Labels for Plant-Based Foods!

The European Union’s top court recently ruled that plant-based foods can continue to use terms traditionally linked to meat, such as “burger” or “sausage,” as long as the ingredients are clearly labeled. This decision followed a legal dispute over labeling regulations for vegetarian and vegan products, and it solidifies the practice of using familiar meat-related names to market plant-based alternatives.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) was called upon to interpret EU law after a French law introduced in 2021 aimed to prevent the use of meat-related terminology for plant-based products. Terms like “veggie burger” or “vegan sausage” were no longer permitted in France, a move the government said was to avoid consumer confusion. However, advocacy groups, including the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) and the Association Végétarienne de France (AVF), challenged this law, arguing it clashed with broader EU regulations on food labeling.

In response, the French Council of State referred the case to the ECJ, which issued its ruling in favor of allowing plant-based food manufacturers to use meat-related terms, as long as the composition of the food is clearly stated.

The EU court made it clear that while countries can create legal definitions for food products, they cannot impose blanket bans on using common descriptive names, like “steak” or “escalope,” for plant-based items if the composition of the product is transparent. The court also emphasized that this ruling does not prevent individual countries from enforcing consumer protection laws when marketing is deemed misleading.

Rafael Pinto, EU policy manager at the European Vegetarian Union, welcomed the ruling, noting that it promotes the growth of plant-based alternatives while aligning with environmental goals. “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,” he said in a press release.

The decision is expected to have broader impacts across the European Union, particularly in countries like Belgium and Italy, which had considered adopting similar laws to France. Plant-based protein products are gaining traction across Europe, and this ruling provides clarity for how these products can be marketed within the Single Market.