Swiss court bans animal names for plant-based products

ZURICH: A court in Switzerland ruled on Friday that animal names cannot be used to describe vegan products and that terms such as “plant-based chicken” or “vegan pork” constitute consumer deception.

“The term ´chicken´ refers to poultry, that is, an animal,” the federal court said in a statement, adding that under Swiss law “all information about food products must be in keeping with reality”.

As such, “a plant-based product which refers to the term ´chicken´ and does not contain meat is a deception”, it added following a public hearing about overturning a lower court ruling. “Imitation products” but also “publicity for these products” must be “designed in such a way to allow the consumer to recognise the type of food and differentiate it from products with which it could be confused”, it added.

The ruling comes in a long-running case involving the Swiss company Planted Foods, which manufactures pea-based meat substitute products such as burgers, steaks and sausages. In 2021, it made the world´s longest schnitzel -- a 119-metre breaded Viennese cutlet made from pea protein.

Company co-founder Judith Wemmer said she was “disappointed” by the decision but added that it seemed to be “driven by politics and emotions” and was at odds with the Swiss government´s promotion of more plant-based diets.