France scraps vegan meat label ban after final ruling

From veganfoodandliving.com/news

The French Court has struck down the ban on using meat terms for plant-based foods in a major victory for vegan ‘bacon’, ‘steak’, and others

In a significant win for plant-based food producers, France’s Council of State has ruled against a ban that would have prevented vegan products from using meat-related terms like ‘nuggets’ and ‘ham’.

The court deemed the proposed restrictions “illegal and contrary to European regulation.”

The ruling means companies can continue using familiar labels such as ‘soy steak’ and ‘lentil sausage’ to describe their products.

French lawmakers had attempted to implement the vegan meat labelling ban through two government decrees – one in 2022 and another in 2023 – which sought to prohibit up to 141 terms associated with meat.

Many brands and organisations fought to oppose the ban, including Beyond Meat, La Vie, and the European Vegetarian Association (EVU) – the umbrella organisation that covers vegan and vegetarian societies and groups across Europe.

In late 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that national regulations could not override EU food labelling laws, undermining the legal basis for France’s restrictions. Then, in January this year, the French Court held its final hearing on the issue.

During the proceedings, the court’s advocate-general (who provides impartial and independent opinions on cases) recommended the cancellation of both decrees, describing them as “not fit for purpose.”

Shortly after, the French Court struck down the ban entirely, in what Rafael Pinto, Senior Policy Manager at EVU has described as an “important victory for consumer protection,” stating that the arguments behind the ban were “based on misconceptions, not data.”

Following the overturning of the ban, the French government must now cover legal fees for the organisations and brands that fought against the ruling.

The EVU called the ruling “a symbolic moment and cautionary tale for other denomination bans.”

The fall of the French vegan meat label ban

The push to restrict plant-based meat labels in France began in 2020 when French lawmakers passed a law to ban meat-related terms on vegan products.

In 2022, the government attempted to enforce the law with a decree banning 21 words, including “steak”, “ham”, and “grilled”.

A second decree in 2023 sought to expand the restrictions to 120 more terms, such as “bacon” and “nuggets”.

Companies and individuals faced fines of up to €7,500 and €1,500, respectively, for using the banned terms.

However, legal challenges led to a temporary suspension of the 2022 decree, and both were ultimately struck down by the Council of State.

The ruling followed a referral to the European Court of Justice, which confirmed that EU member states cannot impose their own labelling restrictions unless they first establish legal definitions for meat-related terms.

It also ruled that plant-based products should not be subject to national protein content thresholds for labelling purposes.

Critics of the ban maintained that consumers are not confused by plant-based labelling, as studies consistently show shoppers can easily differentiate between vegan and animal-based products.

Rafael Pinto of the European Vegetarian Union condemned the attempted restrictions, stating they “do nothing but confuse consumers” and detract from more urgent food system issues.

He added that the ruling should shift the French Government’s priorities towards “supporting sustainable farming, increasing competitiveness and protecting consumers, instead of continuing down this inefficient path.”

Beyond Meat were among the brands and organisations opposing the ban. Photo © Sundry Photography/Adobe Stock

Could France’s ruling influence global plant-based labelling laws?

France is not the only country debating restrictions on plant-based meat labels.

The outcome of similar legal battles in Europe and beyond could shape future food labelling policies worldwide.

In Switzerland, vegan food company Planted Foods was ordered in 2021 to stop using meat-related terms by the Zurich Cantonal Laboratory, which regulates food labelling.

However, the Zurich administrative court later ruled that labels such as ‘Planted Chicken’ were not misleading, as the packaging ‘clearly’ indicated the products were vegan.

Other countries are also exploring similar restrictions. In late 2023, Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development drafted a decree to limit the use of traditional meat-related words on plant-based alternatives.

Meanwhile, in 2024, Thailand proposed new regulations that could force plant-based meat and cheese producers to abandon commonly used terms that help consumers understand their products.

Consumer research suggests such restrictions may be unnecessary

A 2021 poll commissioned by Planted Foods found that 93% of respondents understood that ‘Planted Chicken’ did not contain meat.

A ProVeg International study also supports this, as their research showed that over 96% of consumers knowingly purchased plant-based products that were labelled with meat-related names.

As legal challenges continue worldwide, France’s ruling could set a precedent, strengthening the right of plant-based brands to use familiar terminology and influencing future decisions in other countries.

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/french-court-strikes-down-vegan-meat-label-ban/