Swiss court bans animal names for vegan meat substitutes

Vegan sausages at a supermarket in Switzerland. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Plant-based meat alternatives must no longer use names directly referencing animals, such as "vegan chicken" or "vegan pork". Switzerland’s Federal Court has upheld a federal appeal against a Zurich-based vegan food manufacturer. Terms such as "steak" or "sausage", however, remain permitted.

In a ruling on Friday, the Second Public Law Division of the Federal Court overturned a decision by Zurich’s Administrative Court, which had previously ruled that using animal names for vegan substitutes was acceptable. That decision had been challenged by the interior ministry.

The majority of judges found that expressions such as “planted chicken”, “like chicken”, or “like pork”, used by Planted Foods, a company based in Kemptthal, canton Zurich, were misleading to consumers. The company will now be required to rename its products within a set deadline.

‘Vaud-style’ vegan sausages served at a restaurant in Switzerland. Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

‘Soya sausages’ still permitted

The court’s reasoning was heavily based on European legislation and case law, which Switzerland aligned with during its 2017 revision of food law.

According to the majority ruling, a key principle applies: if a product does not contain meat, it should not bear the name of an animal. However, product names that describe a preparation method – such as “minced”, “steak”, or “sausage” – are allowed. Therefore, terms such as “soya sausages”, “cereal slices”, or “lentil steaks” remain legal.

One judge noted that such labels often serve commercial purposes and are not exclusively aimed at vegan consumers. Instead, they target a broader market, aiming to persuade meat-eaters that the substitute closely mimics the original. In this context, protecting consumers from deception and confusion is particularly important.

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The interior ministry is satisfied

In a press release, the interior ministry welcomes the fact that, with its decision, the Second Court of Public Law has acted in favour of legal certainty. It is now clear that meat substitutes must be named in such a way that they cannot be confused with meat products.

The interior ministry said it is in favour of innovations in the food sector, but products placed on the market must be labelled transparently to avoid any confusion.

Translated from French using DeepL/amva/ts