Veggie victory in South Africa as court rules on plant-based nomenclature amid alt-meat pushback

11 Apr 2024 --- A South African court has ruled against a government plan to seize plant-based products from supermarket shelves if they use “meat-like” names on the labels such as “nuggets,” “burgers” or “sausage.” There has been a two-year court interdict in place to temporarily prevent any seizures thus far, but the nomenclature disagreement was not fully resolved until now.

The Johannesburg High Court decision means plant-based alternatives with “meat-like” names will securely remain in South African stores, retaining their present naming and labeling conventions. 

This announcement is seen as a “huge win” for the plant-based sector in South Africa, where the burgeoning industry is making strides as meat alternatives become increasingly popular. For instance, plant-based food manufacturing companies like Fry’s, Urban Vegan, Beyond Meat and On the Green Side are gaining popularity in local stores. 

Ban beaten down
When the Department of Agriculture in South Africa officially banned the use of meat-related names and phrases in June 2022, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) immediately sought an interdict to stop the Food Safety Agency from seizing meat analog products.

ProVeg South Africa director Donovan Will welcomes the court’s decision and is relieved meat alternatives labeling is no longer under threat. 

“Plant-based meat alternatives is still a young industry and it’s understandable that there is nuance and perhaps some confusion about it,” he says.

“Regulating a new industry can be complicated and challenging, particularly as it slots into the food and agriculture sector, but given the undeniable benefits, ProVeg sees this as an opportunity to leverage our international expertise and work with businesses and the government to ensure the successful and sensible regulation of these products and grow the industry as a bedrock for healthier alternatives and a job provider.”

Although the court decision essentially means plant-based products can keep the same labeling practices, the dispute over the issue will likely continue. 

Elsewhere in Europe, including Italy, France and Spain, the plant-based sector is facing pushback as agricultural stakeholders demand protections to prevent vegan meat products from “misleading consumers.”

The ruling means that increasingly popular meat alternatives can keep the same labeling practices in South Africa.Regulating “meat” labels for plant-based food
Earlier this year, the French government issued a decree banning the use of 21 terms, including “entrecôte,” “ham,” “bacon,” “steak” and “filet,” from being used to describe plant-based products up for sale or distribution.

The decree also specifies the maximum amount of plant protein that can be added to certain foods while still using the traditional animal product term on the label. It outlines strict limits of allowed vegetable protein content coming from the condiments and aromatics contained in the product.

The new rule was created in an effort to prevent consumer confusion and is understood to be coming into effect next month. 

Meanwhile, Poland is chasing a similar legislative push. The government tabled a proposal to bar the naming of plant-based meat alternatives with words that are too similar to meat products. It put forward a draft decree in December 2023.

Propelling plant-based in South Africa
Although meat and dairy labeling has attracted most of the attention to date, alt-seafood is also facing the same challenges in terms of nomenclature. 

Fish labeling was debated in Brussels, the EU’s de facto capital, late last year in a public hearing about plant-based imitation fishery products. Again, the question of whether or not consumers are misled is at the center of the argument. 

“ProVeg welcomes this decision by the Johannesburg High Court. We appreciate the efforts by the CGCSA, and we hope that this latest development encourages the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to meet with stakeholders in the plant-based space to discuss the issue further,” Will continues.

“Given the multiple benefits of eating a more plant-rich diet for personal health, the environment, lowering carbon emissions and global food security, ProVeg wants to work with the South African government to take better advantage of plant-based products for the people of our nation.”

By Gaynor Selby