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The European Parliament has withdrawn a proposal to ban any resemblances between milk products and plant-based products. Producers of soy drinks, for example, faced the risk of a ban on cardboard packaging, the term “dairy alternative”, and more.
No carton and no pictures
Oat milk may officially not be referred to as milk, nor may soy yoghurt be referred to as yoghurt. But with Amendment 171, agricultural lobbies tried to tighten the regulations even further: vegan products would also not be allowed to bear any reference or resemblance to dairy. Phrases such as “plant-based alternative to yoghurt” would mislead the customer, they said, but the implications went much further.
A rectangular milk carton or a block of margarine would no longer be allowed, nor would images of, say, soy yoghurt on the packaging because they would resemble animal dairy too much. Comparisons to dairy products in communications about lower carbon emissions or fat content, for example, also risked being banned.
Censorship off the table
The French socialist MEP Eric Andrieu submitted the proposal, which got approved in October. However, after much lobbying by those who opposed the ban, he is now withdrawing it himself. Under the leadership of The Good Food Institute, 21 NGOs immediately sent an open letter, while international advocacy organisation ProVeg started a consumer petition. The petition obtained almost half a million signatures.
“Plant-based dairy censorship is off the table. This is a huge victory for the planet and the plant-based sector alike,” ProVeg responds with relief. “Instead of wasting time with pointless proposals, EU leaders should put their climate ambitions into action and support consumers to make more sustainable choices,” says Elena Walden, policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe.
ProVeg, meanwhile, continues to challenge the ban on the term “milk”. “The dairy industry does not have a monopoly on our common language,” they say. Plant-based milk and cheese already accounted for triple-digit sales growth between 2018 and 2020. Between 2019 and 2025, the value of the market is also expected to more than double, reaching over half a billion euros.
