EU Labeling Ban Threatens Plant-Based Snack Descriptors

The European Union is considering an expansion of its meat labeling restrictions to include savory snacks and crisps. The move would prohibit manufacturers from using traditional flavor descriptors for plant-based alternatives.

The European Union is considering an expansion of its meat labeling restrictions to include savory snacks and crisps. The move would prohibit manufacturers from using traditional flavor descriptors for plant-based alternatives. Alternative protein brands will soon be unable to use 31 meaty words to label and market their plant-based products for European markets. Producers of crisps are worried that their savory snacks could be restricted, too. Olivier Devaux, the director of nutrition, health, and sustainability at the European Snacks Association, recently told Politico that "legal uncertainty" around the ban means that "meaty names in the flavor description might be in scope." According to the Association’s legal analysis, three pieces of legislation are in conflict, and it is not currently clear "which one prevails." The lobby group called for an amendment to the legislation covering savory snacks, sauces, and seasonings. Popular crisp flavors that could be affected by the labeling ban include Lay’s barbecue pork rib, roast chicken, and beef bourguignon, as well as Patatas Fritas Torres’ chorizo. All three use words that are listed in the proposed ban. In August, just weeks after this summer’s record-breaking heatwaves, MEPs from the European People’s Party, European Conservatives and Reformists, and Patriots for Europe sought to expand the plant-based labeling ban to include even more words. British alternative protein brands and potentially crisp-makers could be affected if they sell to countries that follow EU rules, including Northern Ireland. In September, a survey found that more than 94 percent of people in the UK understood meat-free products do not contain any actual meat, despite claims of consumer confusion over plant-based food labeling. Jasmijn de Boo, the global CEO of ProVeg, previously said, "No one is confused by terms like ‘vegetarian sausage,’ as numerous surveys attest. So, in fact, there is no need to restrict such labeling."

Read source: Plant Based News