In October 2020, the European Commission voted to ban dairy-related descriptive terms such as “buttery” and “creamy” for dairy free plant-based alternatives. Amendment 171 proposed to ban these terms for use with purely plant-based products. Within the scope of the proposal was also a ban prohibiting the use of packaging with visual depictions that evoked dairy and allergen statements such as “does not contain milk”. Parliament withdrew the amendment in late May 2021 without providing a clear reason for the withdrawal. Some believe there was considerable consumer resistance to the amendment. The European Dairy Association (EDA) is pleased with legislators’ decision to protect dairy-related terms and considers the withdrawal a win for the dairy industry.

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Picture Credit Susanne Kuehne

Posted on 8 June 2021