From bans on meat-related terms to debate around ditching the ‘vegan’ label, we take a look at some of the labelling conundrums currently faced by manufacturers in the plant-based space.
When it comes to encouraging more consumers to try plant-based, manufacturers in the food and beverage industry know that it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts. Developing a stand-out product in taste and texture is just one piece of the puzzle when successfully bringing plant-based offerings to market.
For products to catch the consumer’s eye in retail, smart branding and carefully-chosen language on-pack can make all the difference with regards to a product’s success in attracting the desired demographic. Often, the desire is to attract consumers from the ‘omnivore’ and ‘flexitarian’ categories, enticing them toward increasing the portion of plant-based within their diets.
‘Plant-based’ vs ‘Vegan’
Communicating that a product is free from dairy and other animal-derived ingredients is important, but debate persists around how is best to do so, and brands will have different approaches depending on the consumers they are aiming to reach.
Certifications such as the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark scheme allow brands to associate themselves with an internationally-recognised standard verifying that their product is made entirely without the use of animal ingredients. This helps to provide the reassurance consumers need when avoiding these ingredients entirely, such as in the case of vegans or consumers with allergies. Many will be looking out for products with these certifications when shopping.
However, for the non-vegan consumer, several research studies this year have suggested that labelling a product ‘vegan’ can make buying it less appealing.
A study undertaken by the University of California underwent a national food choice experiment to determine how people responded to the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ compared with the use of terms that placed more emphasis on the benefits of the product – such as ‘healthy and sustainable’.
In the study, participants chose between a food gift basket without meat and dairy and another with meat and dairy.
The experiment found that only 20% of participants chose the food basket without meat and dairy when it was labelled ‘vegan’ and just 27% when it was labelled ‘plant-based’. When it was labelled ‘healthy,’ the number of participants to choose the meat- and dairy-free food basket shot up to 42%, with 43% choosing it when it was labelled ‘sustainable’ and 44% choosing it when labelled ‘healthy and sustainable’.
The research team said that the labelling effect was ‘especially pronounced’ among individuals who identified as red meat-eaters and held across socio-demographic groups.
Julienne Bruno, a producer of dairy-free cheese alternatives, also conducted research earlier this year which found that 39% of UK adults wanted more planet-friendly food but were put off by labels – two in five (37%) said they disliked the term ‘plant-based’ and just under a third (32%) for ‘vegan’.
Julienne Bruno’s research came within the same month as another study published by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which found that meat eaters were significantly less likely to choose vegetarian and vegan options when they were labelled as such.
So, could the answer to attracting more consumers to the category be to leave the vegan and plant-based labelling at a minimum? Julienne Bruno thinks so, particularly as its research found that even 37% of those who identify as vegan disliked the term ‘plant-based’.
Founder Axel Katalan called for a “shift in how we talk about and label food,” adding that shoppers want food to be “original, taste good and offer quality produce regardless of whether it’s vegan, and this could be key to getting more shoppers to eat more sustainably”.
While it is obviously essential to include ingredient information on-pack, if you are aiming to reach more consumers from outside the vegan category, displaying a more neutral approach with your branding and on-pack labelling – similar to that of Julienne Bruno, which doesn’t use the terms ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based’ to label its products – could be a smart messaging tactic to prevent plant-based products from being seen as something out of the norm.
Meat and dairy terms: A meaty issue
Restrictions that prevent plant-based companies from using meat-related and dairy-related terms to market their products have continued to persist this year, bringing headaches for many companies who may face the task of undergoing an entire rebrand due to bans on terms such as ‘mylk’ or ‘not mylk’ – often used in on-pack labelling for plant-based alternatives.
In the UK, the vegan sector launched a petition against Trading Standards’ potential introduction of such restrictions, with organisations such as Viva! and the Plant Based Food Alliance campaigning against the changes which they argued could prevent a level playing field between categories and add unnecessary cost to businesses that are already struggling with rising prices.
In November, the Italian Chamber of Deputies passed a law banning the use of meat-related names such as ‘salami’ or ‘steak’ on plant-based products in Italy. The ban also prohibited the sale and production of cell-based meat in the country.
The new ban will directly affect Italian plant-based food producers that currently create plant-based meat products and will no longer be permitted to use such language, requiring a total branding overhaul for some. Violations against the bill will see brands faced with hefty fines (between €10,000 and €60,000 for each violation). Non-profit think tank The Good Food Institute said the move will “cut the country off from innovation and block sustainable development”.
Following Italy’s ban, the latest European country to table restrictions is Poland. A draft decree from the Polish Ministry of Agriculture highlights terms including “sausage,” “smoked meat” and “ham” to be censored for use on vegan products. The French government also drafted a similar decree earlier in the year.
Commenting on the plans in Poland, Jasmijn de Boo, CEO of ProVeg International, said: “This is a very disappointing development because studies have shown that consumers are simply not confused by the use of ‘meaty’ names for plant-based foods”.
“Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 already provides an effective framework to protect consumers against misleading, inaccurate, or unclear information communicated to them. A disparate approach can confuse consumer perception and fragment and distort the Single Market, potentially harming the Polish market in light of consumer demand for products containing plant proteins.”
De Boo added that governments and industry should be working together to “actively promote climate-friendly food,” including “going all-out” to promote plant-based and making funding available for research.
Clean up
The descriptive terms used to label plant-based food aren’t the only labelling concern manufacturers in the space are contending with – the ingredients label itself is currently a hot topic for the industry, with rising consumer concerns around ultra-processed foods (UPFs) said to have contributed toward a drop in plant-based meat sales.
While several factors can be attributed to the plant-based meat sales decrease – including the general state of the economy, with many consumers likely choosing cheaper sources of plant protein such as chickpeas and lentils amid rising prices – several key players in the space have spoken out about misinformation targeting the category, leading consumers to believe that plant-based meats are inherently unhealthy due to their ‘ultra-processed’ state.
The Center for Consumer Freedom – a US non-profit organisation that has advocated for the meat and tobacco industries – has launched several ad campaigns over the past few years slamming “synthetic, fake” plant-based meats for being “highly processed” and “full of ingredients you can’t easily pronounce”.
Alt-meat producers such as Beyond Meat and Impossible have been forced to defend the health credentials of their products following such statements. Beyond Meat launched a multi-phased campaign, ‘There’s Goodness Here,’ aiming to show consumers how its products are made, from documenting the sourcing of plant protein ingredients from farmer partners through to showing how the products are developed at Beyond’s facilities in North America, placing emphasis on their health benefits such as having zero cholesterol or added antibiotics and hormones.
Beyond and Impossible also both had their products – Beyond Steak and Impossible Beef Lite respectively – certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Food Certification Program.
Other companies within the space are taking the opportunity to innovate on ingredients that can fulfil the demand for ‘clean label’ plant-based meat products. Novozymes, for example, has introduced a bio-based solution named ‘Vertera ProBite,’ based on the enzyme MTGase (microbial transglutaminase E.C. 2.3.2.13).
Because the enzyme becomes inactive after the food processing stage, any of its presence within the final product does not require labelling, enabling simple and clean labels and natural alternatives to unwanted texturizers that may be off-putting for consumers concerned by additive ingredients.
Plant-based meat brands, particularly newer and smaller start-ups entering the market, are increasingly focusing on clean label with the awareness that this is now a crucial consideration for health-conscious shoppers. Companies such as Umiami and Meati Foods are bringing plant-based meat products to market with proud ‘clean label’ declarations, emphasising short and simple ingredients lists that place ‘natural’ at their core.
What’s next?
As we enter a new year, 2024 will no doubt bring interesting developments on these issues. Further innovation on clean label solutions, particularly within the ingredients industry, will benefit the plant-based sector as it works to shed the ‘synthetic’ image and ensure products are seen as more natural.
Furthermore, with the potential for more bans on meat- and dairy-related terms set to come into effect, we may see a number of rebrands and packaging refreshes. Many already use wording such as ‘oat-based drink’ rather than ‘milk’ or ‘m*lk’ and we could be set to see a rise in such wording choices, as well as new ways to describe meat alternatives such as sausages and plant-based ‘ham’.
Labelling obstacles will continue to present themselves in the coming years, but the plant-based food and beverage industry is filled with passionate individuals, dedicated to furthering a future of sustainable food production, who will surely find smart solutions to ensure the industry remains resilient and focused on its message.
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