On August 18th this year, an EU Regulation entered into force introducing changes to the marketing and labelling requirements for food products. One of the most significant changes is that terms commonly associated with the meat sector, such as “meat”, “bacon”, “steak” and “fillet”, will no longer be permitted for plant-based and other alternative products.
The new requirements will apply from August 19th, 2029. From that date, specific terms listed in the Regulation will be reserved exclusively for meat and meat products.
This means that terms such as meat, beef, pork, chicken, fillet, ribs, bacon, steak, T-bone steak, liver and other terms specified in the Regulation may not be used for products made from plant-based ingredients, microorganisms, fungi, algae, as well as cell and tissue cultures. The new requirements will make it easier for consumers to distinguish meat products from their alternatives based on the product name.
The European Commission will be authorised to establish certain exemptions for product names that have historically been used for a long time and do not pose a risk of misleading consumers.
A transitional period is provided to allow producers and retailers to adapt product labelling and packaging. Products placed on the EU market before August 19th, 2029 that do not comply with the new requirements may continue to be marketed until stocks are exhausted, but no later than August 19th, 2032.
The Regulation also introduces changes concerning the indication of product origin. As of August 18th this year, the European Commission has been empowered to extend, through marketing standards, requirements concerning the indication of the place of farming and country of origin. In the future, such requirements may also be extended to poultry meat and spreadable fats.
The Ministry of Agriculture encourages food business operators to familiarise themselves with the new requirements in good time and take them into account when planning changes to product labelling and packaging.