France to overturn restrictions on plant-based food labels after EU ruling

FRANCE – The French Council of State has overturned two government decrees that banned plant‐based food manufacturers from using terms traditionally linked to meat products, such as “steak” and “sausage,” 

This is after a legal challenge that raised concerns about compliance with European Union regulations and national labeling practices and certain established policies.

The dispute began in 2020 when the French Parliament passed a law banning meat‐related terms for plant‐based products, a measure further enforced by a decree in June 2022 and revised in February 2024.

This pushed several companies and associations to challenge the restrictions under European Union law as being excessive.

Prior to its final decision, the Council of State requested clarification from the Court of Justice of the European Union, which in October 2023 determined that European Union rules regulate the labeling of plant‐based foods

This,thereby, prevented individual member states from imposing extra national restrictions on descriptive product names.

Following a temporary suspension of the 2022 decree when multiple plant‐based companies, including French alternative protein brand La Vie, initiated legal action against the restrictions, the ruling now permits manufacturers in France to maintain the use of descriptive names such as “soy steak” and “vegetable sausage” in product labeling.

La Vie CEO Nicolas Schweitzer commented that the ruling concludes a protracted legal process that emerged from disputes over product labeling, highlighting the challenges posed by restrictions backed by certain segments of the livestock industry, as reported by industry observers and noted that the debate over naming conventions continues.

The decision is regarded as reinforcing the legal position set by the Court of Justice of the European Union and may influence labeling practices for plant‐based products across other member countries, as debates over food terminology and consumer clarity continue to arise within the region in a measured manner.

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