"vegan" / "vegetarian" – Definitions for Food Labelling

More and more Germans are eating vegan or vegetarian. Demand for vegan and vegetarian foods is therefore rising rapidly. But what exactly does vegan or vegetarian actually mean?

To date, there has been no legal definition for the terms "vegan" and "vegetarian".

Now, on 22.04.2016, the Consumer Protection Ministers' Conference has agreed on definitions.

Definitions for "vegan" / "vegetarian"

The definitions are as follows:

(1) Vegan are foodstuffs that are not products of animal origin and in which, at all production and processing stages, no

• ingredients (including additives, carriers, flavourings and enzymes) or
• processing aids or
• non-food additives that are used in the same manner and for the same purpose as processing aids,

of animal origin, in processed or unprocessed form, have been added or used.

(2) Vegetarian are foodstuffs which comply with the requirements of paragraph 1, but in the production of which, notwithstanding the foregoing, 1. milk, 2. colostrum, 3. farm poultry eggs, 4. bee honey, 5. beeswax, 6. propolis or 7. wool fat/lanolin from wool obtained from living sheep, or their constituents or products derived therefrom may have been added or used.

(3) Unintended inputs of products that do not comply with the respective requirements of paragraph 1 or 2 do not preclude labelling as vegan or vegetarian, if and to the extent that these are technically unavoidable at all production, processing and distribution stages despite suitable precautions and compliance with good manufacturing practice.

(4) Paragraphs 1 to 3 apply accordingly if information is used for foodstuffs that is equivalent from the consumer's perspective to "vegan" or "vegetarian".

Consequences of the Resolution

The definitions shall in future be used by food monitoring authorities as a basis for assessing the labelling of foodstuffs.

The promotion of products as "vegan" or "vegetarian" when these are not vegan or vegetarian according to the definitions constitutes an unfair competitive advantage that can be subject to a cease-and-desist notice.

Conclusion

Companies that place foodstuffs on the market should ensure that they only designate products as vegan or vegetarian if they actually comply with the specified definitions.