Plant-based: claim and ban threats

Vegan, Vegetarian and Plant-based

To the vegan and vegetarian public, are now spreading as a valid alternative for all those people who, for health and environmental reasons, want to reduce their consumption of meat and animal proteins, looking for a greater diversification in vegetable products. As a matter of fact, nowadays the offer of vegetal products is no longer limited, as it used to be, only to vegetal milk or vegetal meat, but it is possible to find many types of products developed with vegetal ingredients on the market, such as snacks, yogurt, sweets, bakery products, sauces, as well as fish and cheese.

The growth in consumer demand for this type of food has led to new opportunities and challenges, resulting in the rise of multiple claims that label the product “plant-based“. However, the presence of different terminologies to express this same concept and the lack of a standardized and regulated definition can sometimes generate confusion among consumers. According to this article drawn up by Food Navigator, the terms “vegan” and “vegetarian” are definitely the most popular and used ones: the former is more popular in Asia Pacific and Australasia, while the second is more appreciated in Europe and North America. The “plant-based” claim, on the other hand, is more recent, but is gaining increasing popularity as it addresses a wider audience, that does not necessarily feel included in the percentage of vegans and vegetarians, that is about 4-6% worldwide. This target audience, which includes about 42% of the world’s population, is the flexitarian, i.e. people who simply want to reduce their consumption of meat and animal protein, and to do so seek plant-based alternatives.

“Vegan”, “vegetarian”, and eventually “plant-based” are among the most common claims on the labels of plant-based products, but in addition to these there are also others such as “meatless”, “meat-free”, “veggie”, short for “vegetarian”, and even “made from plants” or “veggie-based”. Many of these terms have spread in recent years, due to the growing demand for this type of products, becoming now easily identifiable and able to attract different consumers.

European ban on vegetable products: amendment 165 and 171

With the growing popularity of these types of products, additional challenges connected to labeling were generated, particularly on the terms used to describe the product. In order to differentiate plant-based products from conventional products, such as plant-based milk from cow’s milk, bans have been set over the years in the terminology to be used for these types of products. Back in 2017, the European Union established a ban on terms such as “milk, “butter,” “cheese” and “yogurt” for plant-based products, causing disappointment from plant-based dairy producers. The motivation behind this choice was precisely the belief that using these terms could confuse consumers. And more recently, in the fall of 2020, the European Union suggested an amendment, 171, that would have banned plant-based dairy companies from using words like “buttery” or “creamy” to describe their products. According to  Amendment 171 off the table:Europe allows for “creamy” and “buttery” plant-based dairy, this law proposal would not only have banned the use of certain terms, but also packaging similar to the animal product they refer to, the use of evocative images similar to milk, cream and cheese, as well as any claim that compares the plant-based product to the animal product.

This law proposal generated a huge debate, as manufacturers would have had several harsh restrictions, which would have definitely impacted their costs and ability to communicate to the consumer. Just in May of this year, the amendment was rejected, allowing manufacturers to take a breath of relief.

However, even if this amendment was not approved, some countries, such as France, have decided to introduce restrictions on the use of the term “meat” attributed to meat alternatives. In this sense, this represents a further challenge for producers of plant-based food, as they must be aware of the limitations established from country to country, thus impacting the communication strategy of their product.

Nevertheless, the failure of the European Union to approve amendment 171 has sent a strong message to Europe: there is a desire to promote innovation and the diffusion of new foods, which allow people to alternate the consumption of animal products, contributing to their own health and the one of their planet.