What Does the FDA’s Labelling Guidance Mean for Plant-Based Meat?

The FDA has updated its draft guidance for labelling vegan meat, egg, and dairy products, suggesting that companies emphasize the plant-based sources that make up the product. The guidelines recommend using terms like 'chickpea meatballs' instead of 'plant-based meatballs' to describe vegan products on packaging. While companies are allowed to use terms like 'sausage' and 'burger' on their packaging, the FDA prefers that they highlight the source ingredients in their products to help consumers easily determine the plant source of the product.

The FDA's recommendations aim to help consumers distinguish between plant-based products from different sources such as legumes, tree nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables. The guidance suggests that including plant sources in the name of the food can aid consumers in aligning their purchases with their dietary needs and understanding any nutritional differences between plant-based alternatives and conventional counterparts. Companies have until May 7 to submit comments on the draft guidance, which could potentially lead to changes in how plant-based meat products are labelled in the future.