The European Court of Justice has ruled in favor of allowing plant-based meat substitutes to use meat-related terms in their labeling, such as “vegetarian burger” or “vegan fillet.” This decision has been praised for promoting consumer transparency, but some are concerned about potential market fragmentation across Europe.
Despite the ruling, France has implemented laws prohibiting plant-based products from using terms like “steak” or “ham.” This conflicting stance creates uncertainty for manufacturers and retailers in the country.
Vegan and vegetarian organizations see the ruling as a positive step towards transparency and consumer protection. A study by the European Consumers’ Organisation found that the majority of consumers support using traditional meat names for plant-based products as long as their nature is clearly marked.
However, concerns remain about the potential fragmentation of the European market due to different regulations in each Member State. The Secretary General of the Liaison Centre for the Meat Processing Industry in the European Union warns that varying regulations could lead to confusion and disruption.
The court’s decision allows individual countries to create their own legal definitions, potentially leading to the removal of meat-related terms from plant-based product labels in certain countries. Overall, the ruling has sparked discussions about how to balance consumer transparency with market consistency across Europe.
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