Court: Vegan meat is not misleading
The Zurich-based company Planted is permitted to continue labelling its products with animal-based designations. This has been decided by the administrative court.
Planted Foods wins in court
A court in Switzerland has ruled that the “meat-based” product names and labels used by a plant-based food manufacturer are not misleading to consumers.
The proceedings were initiated on behalf of the Cantonal Laboratory of Zurich. It instructed a vegan company called Planted Foods, headquartered in Kemptthal, to cease using terms such as “chicken” and “pork”.
The company Planted Foods subsequently appealed to the Health Directorate of the Canton of Zurich and ultimately to the administrative court, with success.
The administrative court dismissed the case in December 2022. In its ruling, it states that Planted Foods clearly indicates, through the use of the terms “vegan” and “vegetarian”, that its products are not of animal origin. Furthermore, words such as “chicken” indicate the intended use of the product.
By specifying an animal designation on the products, consumers could be informed of the intended use of the food item. This only becomes clear through references such as “like chicken” or “like pork”. The product description “plant-based food made from pea protein”, on the other hand, is not suited to conveying to the public that this food can be used like meat. There is therefore no deception.
93% recognise vegan product
In July 2021, Planted Foods commissioned a survey of 777 individuals. 93% of respondents recognised that “Planted Chicken” is a vegan product. Swiss shoppers are therefore able to distinguish between meat and vegan products.
A detailed report by the organisation ProVeg found that 80% of British consumers believe that products labelled as vegan, vegetarian or plant-based “obviously” contain no animal meat.
Fight against labelling bans
Countries seeking to introduce bans on the labeling of plant-based foods are facing significant resistance. France and South Africa attempted in 2022 to introduce sweeping bans on “meat-sounding” vegan labels. Both disputes were, however, suspended following interventions by supreme courts.
In France, the Conseil d’État temporarily lifted a ban preventing domestic plant-based manufacturers from labeling their products with meat-related terms. In South Africa, a similar series of events unfolded when the Supreme Court in Johannesburg intervened and suspended the ban in August.
| You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose empathy on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan. |
