Update guideline for vegan and vegetarian products
Jul 6, 2018 - Foods
Update guideline for vegan and vegetarian products
The demand for and therefore the supply of vegetarian and vegan foods on the market is continuously growing. In this environment, a wide range of vegan and vegetarian foods is developing, which are presented and named similarly to foods with ingredients of animal origin. In such products, components of animal origin are partially or fully replaced by those suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Uniform regulations for the designation of such products are essential.
The German Food Commission already presented a draft guideline for vegan and vegetarian products last year.
The draft does not include a ban on conventional designations of meat substitute products, meaning that "vegetarian schnitzel" can still be referred to as such. However, the products must be labeled as “vegan” or “vegetarian” in the main field of view. Additionally, the substitute ingredient must be stated in conjunction with the product name, e.g., "soy-based schnitzel." Designations that refer to animal species or specific meat cuts should be deemed inadmissible, e.g., fillet, steak.
However, a decision in France caused a stir. In the future, vegetarian and vegan products are not allowed to contain "meaty" name additions. This leads to consumer confusion in the marketing of these products.
Here are some example terms that are no longer allowed in France:
- Vegetarian sausages
- Meatless bacon
- Cashew cheese
- Soy milk
Accordingly, it is already applicable in Germany: Soy milk must be called soy drink. Whether Germany will adopt these further strict regulations remains to be seen.
So far, the plenary of the German Food Book Commission has not been able to unanimously adopt the draft, but it is planned that the guidelines for certain vegan and vegetarian foods will be adopted later this year.
In our Tentamus laboratories, we regularly conduct species determination screenings for vegetarian and vegan foods. We provide you with fast and reliable results.
If you have any questions, our customer support representatives are happy to assist you.
Source: Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture www.bmel.de