Germany: New guidelines for designating vegan and vegetarian products with meat related terms

Vegan and vegetarian food is becoming more and more popular. However, as a lot of vegans and vegetarians are not willing to give up the taste of meat the demand for meat substitutes increases. Whether “vegan salami” or “vegetarian meatballs”, the fundamental question regarding the designation of those substitutes remains unclear so far: Is the current practice of designating them in the same way as the conventional meat products misleading consumers and should such designations be reserved for the “original”?

At the end of 2018, the German food book Commission (Deutsche Lebensmittelbuchkommission) published new guidelines for vegan and vegetarian food. These new principles reflect manufacturing and commercial practices as well as consumer expectations, in particular with respect to vegan and vegetarian food products that have a sensory similarity to products from animal origin.

Authored by Susanne Karow.