Abstract
This chapter explores the labelling of dairy products produced via precision fermentation. It outlines the legal framework governing product naming and applies these findings to products derived from precision fermentation. It addresses the complexities surrounding the legal naming of vegan alternative dairy products. Subsequently, the chapter explores various other labelling-related issues, including the use of a vegan label, obtaining organic certification, adopting clean labels, making health and nutrition claims, and designating product origins.
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Notes
- 1.
See FIR. Article 8.
- 2.
Meisterernst (2019), § 10 marginal no. 133. There is some discussion emerging as to whether the provisions in the CMO conveys the same regulatory objective as Art. 17 FIR. Such a reference of Art. 17 FIR to the provisions of the CMO may hence need not be subject to a suitability test. The Court, however, without further ado references both regimes and connects them to one another, see C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 43.
- 3.
Meisterernst (2019), § 15 marginal no. 17.
- 4.
Meisterernst (2019), § 15 marginal no. 18.
- 5.
Voit and Grube (2016), Article 17 marginal no. 140.
- 6.
Meisterernst (2022), Article 17 marginal no. 140.
- 7.
McClements and Grossmann (2022), p. 1.
- 8.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458.
- 9.
Questions were stated by a German court in Trier via Preliminary ruling procedure of Article 267 TFEU, see LG Trier, Beschluss vom 28.07.2016 - 7 HK O 20/16.
- 10.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 23.
- 11.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 25.
- 12.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 43.
- 13.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 48.
- 14.
2010/791/EU: Commission Decision (2010).
- 15.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 39.
- 16.
C-422/16, TofuTown [2017] Court of Justice of the European Union ECLI:EU:C:2017:458, marginal no. 23.
- 17.
2010/791/EU: Commission Decision (2010).
- 18.
Meisterernst (2019), § 10 Rn. 132.
- 19.
Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (2003).
- 20.
Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 (2015).
- 21.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2469 (2017).
- 22.
Turck et al. (2016).
- 23.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 (2017).
- 24.
As an example, this is the Commission Implementing Regulation on an insect as a novel food: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/882 (2021).
- 25.
Hallman (2020), p. 2268.
- 26.
European Commission (2023a).
- 27.
So far, the Commission did not utilise its mandate to adopt implementing acts concerning information related to suitability of a food for vegetarians or vegans pursuant to Article 36 (3)(b) FIR.
- 28.
Leialohilani and de Boer (2020), p. 265.
- 29.
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (2018).
- 30.
Meisterernst (2021), marginal no. 1.
- 31.
E.g. The European Vegetarian Union (V-Label), see European Vegetarian Union (2021).
- 32.
- 33.
Verbraucherschutzministerkonferenz (2016).
- 34.
See also: European Vegetarian Union (2021) “Products carrying this information meet the criteria of the V-Label provided that no animal ingredients are deliberately added at any point during production. (…) According to the criteria of the V-Label, total contamination with all verifiable animal ingredients in the end product must not exceed 0.1% (1 g/kg). Other rules based on a “technically feasible detection limit” may apply for certain product groups.”; Jäger (2019), p. 251; More Information (in German): proveg international (2018).
- 35.
European Vegetarian Union (2023).
- 36.
- 37.
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (2018).
- 38.
See Article 33(1) Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (2018).
- 39.
European Commission (2019).
- 40.
European Commission (2020).
- 41.
European Commission (2020), p. 3.
- 42.
Vertical farming means, that agricultural products will be farmed upwards rather then outwards to increase the crop per unit area of land, see: Beacham et al. (2019).
- 43.
Neslen (2021).
- 44.
See Regulation (EU) No 2018/848. Articles 11, 30(4) and Recital 23.
- 45.
Purnhagen et al. (2021).
- 46.
See Regulation (EU) No 2018/848. Articles 21, 54 and Annex II.
- 47.
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (2022).
- 48.
Demeter e.V. (2023).
- 49.
Bioland e.V. (2023).
- 50.
Cao and Miao (2023), p. 13.
- 51.
- 52.
Molitorisová et al. (2021), p. 76.
- 53.
Some private organisations like PETA do have lists of companies that do not test their products on animals and do label their cosmetic products as e.g. cruelty-free or free from animal testing, see BeautyWithoutBunnies (2023).
- 54.
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (2006).
- 55.
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Article 2(2) No. 1.
- 56.
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Article 3.
- 57.
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Article 2(2) No. 4.
- 58.
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Article 2(2) No. 5.
- 59.
For example, the claim “High Protein” can be used for products where at least 20% of the energy value of the food is provided by protein.
- 60.
See Article 15 NHCR for the difference to health claims.
- 61.
There is a difference between specific and non-specific health claims: Specific Health claims are subject to approval (See Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Article 10(1)) and are prohibited until authorisation and are then included in a list of claims. Characteristic for specific health claims is a scientific proof of the interdependency between the substance and body function. Non-specific health claims (e.g.: Good for health) are because of its general formulation no subject of approval (See Reg. (EC) No. 1924/2006. Article 10(3)) They therefore require coupling with authorised specific health claims instead of authorisation. For more information see: Holle and Hüttebräuker (2018) Article 10 marginal no. 12 f.
- 62.
All authorised and non-authorised health claims and their health relationship can be seen in the EU register of health claims, see European Commission (2023c).
- 63.
See Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. Article 4, these objectives should be fulfilled by e.g. securing fair returns for the qualities of their products, ensuring uniform protection of the names as an intellectual property right in the territory of the Union and providing clear information on the value-adding attributes of the product to consumers.
- 64.
Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (2012).
- 65.
See Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. Article 5(1).
- 66.
See Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. Article 5(2).
- 67.
See Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. Article 13(1).
- 68.
European Commission (2023b).
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Ronchetti, F., Springer, L., Purnhagen, K.P. (2024). Labelling: General Product Naming Requirements. In: The Regulatory Landscape in the EU for Dairy Products Derived from Precision Fermentation. SpringerBriefs in Law(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49692-9_5
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