The Barcelona Court of Appeal has ruled substantially in favour of plant-based food company Heura Foods in a high-profile legal battle brought by six of Spain’s meat industry organisations.

The decision overturns most of the first instance judgment, rejecting the majority of claims alleging unfair competition.

The case, initiated in 2022 by Interporc, Provacuno, Interovic, Asici, Avianza and Intercun, centred on allegations that Heura’s communications regarding the environmental and health impacts of meat consumption amounted to misleading advertising, denigration of the meat sector and unlawful comparative advertising.

Collectively, the claimant organisations represent a Spanish meat industry generating more than €31 billion in annual revenue, while Barcelona-based Heura reported annual revenues of approximately €17 million at the time.

In its ruling, the Court of Appeal found that Heura’s social media communication could not be considered ‘misleading, disparaging or unlawful’ when assessed as a whole.

The court also ruled that the extensive restrictions sought by the claimants would have represented an ‘unacceptable restriction’ on freedom of expression under Article 20 of the Spanish Constitution – a move Heura noted "sets a precedent for the industry".

However, one aspect of the case was decided in favour of the meat industry, relating to a specific advertising campaign launched by Heura in 2020. Heura stated that the campaign had already been withdrawn prior to the appeal and accepted the court’s assessment on this point.

The ruling also addressed the use of traditional meat-related product descriptors for plant-based foods. Judges found that terms such as 'burger', 'sausage' and 'chorizo' could legitimately be used for plant-based alternatives, provided their non-animal origin is clearly communicated.

This ruling came as the EU Parliament agreed to ban the use of words such as ‘sausage and burger’ to describe plant-based meats. These restrictions, widely opposed by players within the plant-based food industry, now require final approval by the Council before they come into force. Once effective, companies like Heura will no longer be able to use a list of meat-related words to market and label products sold in the EU.

Speaking about the judgement on LinkedIn, Heura co-founder and CEO Marc Coloma said: “Today, the Barcelona Court of Appeal ruled in our favour on what matters most...Four years ago, the meat lobby decided this conversation shouldn’t exist. That discussing how we eat, what science tells us, and how we can do better was something to take to court and, if possible, silence.“

In a statement following the ruling, Heura said the judgment reinforces the importance of allowing companies to communicate evidence-based information about food systems and sustainability. “From day one, our model has been to innovate, educate and raise awareness,” the company said.

Huera added that its defence relied on scientific research and expert analysis developed specifically for the case, covering nutrition, sustainability and sociology. The court ordered the claimant organisations pay legal costs.

Top image: © Heura Foods