No more "veggie chicken": Federal Court bans animal names for plant-based products
A landmark ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court is causing an uproar in the growing plant-based meat industry: designations such as "planted.chicken", "like chicken" or "vegan pig" are no longer permitted for plant-based meat substitutes. On 2 May, Switzerland's highest court upheld an appeal by the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), thereby overturning the decision of the Zurich Administrative Court.
Focus on the risk of deception
The Federal Supreme Court based its ruling on the protection against deception in food law. "The term 'poulet' refers to a poultry, and therefore an animal," the court's press release states. According to both European and Swiss law, "poulet" is clearly defined as poultry and as meat. Consequently, the term may not be used for products that do not contain any meat.
History of the legal dispute
The legal dispute began back in 2021, when the Zurich Cantonal Laboratory prohibited a company from labeling its meat substitute products made from pea protein with animal species names. The Zurich Administrative Court had objected to this restriction in 2022, which has now been corrected by the Federal Supreme Court.
Clear labeling required
In its ruling, the Federal Supreme Court based its decision on the Federal Act on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles, according to which all information about foodstuffs must correspond to the facts. Imitation products must be labelled in such a way that consumers can recognize the actual type of food without confusing it with other products.
Far-reaching consequences for the industry
The ruling is likely to have a significant impact on the marketing and labeling practices of plant-based alternatives. Manufacturers will now have to find creative ways to advertise their products without direct reference to animal species. Industry experts expect a wave of product renaming in the coming months.
The detailed written reasons for the ruling are still pending and will be published on the Federal Court's website at a later date.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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