Czech Government Prepares Amendment to Restrict Use of Meat-Like Terms for Plant-Based Products

The Czech government is preparing an amendment to restrict the use of meat-like terms for plant-based products, such as "mushroom schnitzel" or "soy sausage". While the government claims this is to protect consumers, ProVeg Czechia argues that it will actually confuse shoppers and harm plant-based companies. A survey commissioned by ProVeg found that most consumers support the use of meat-like terms for plant-based foods, and understand that these products do not contain meat.

ProVeg Czechia has called on the Ministry of Agriculture to abandon the amendment, as it may have a significant economic impact on plant-based companies and food service outlets. The legality of the proposed amendment is also in question, as the Court of Justice of the European Union recently ruled that EU member states cannot prohibit the use of terms traditionally associated with animal products for plant-based alternatives. The Czech government's support of plant-based foods in the past makes the proposal of this amendment surprising.