Manufacturers of plant-based protein foods can’t be prevented from using terms such as “sausage” and “burger,” according to the European Court of Justice
EU member states cannot restrict manufacturers of plant-based protein foods from using terms traditionally associated with products of animal origin, according to a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling.
Published on the ECJ website on Friday, the ruling says that as long as the ingredients of these products are clearly labeled and not misleading, manufacturers are free to use commonly understood terms to market their products.
The ECJ indicated that the ruling came in response to a 2022 decree by the French government designed to ban the use of meat-related terms such as ‘veggie burgers’ or ‘vegan sausages’ for plant-based products. That decree argued that consumers might be confused or misled by such labels.
The French decree was later contested by the European Vegetarian Union,…