Dutch Food Authority bans use of ‘Plant-Based Mince’ label

NETHERLANDS – Plant-based food producers in the Netherlands have been ordered to stop using the term “plant-based mince” on product labels following a new directive from the country’s food safety regulator.

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said that the phrase violates a 1998 law that reserves the word “mince” for products made from animal meat.

The move comes as the Dutch government pushes to make half of the nation’s protein intake come from plants by 2030, a target backed by a steady decline in meat consumption across the country.

According to the NVWA, six manufacturers and retailers, including major brands The Vegetarian Butcher and Vivera, have received formal letters instructing them to change their product names or face penalties.

The ruling only affects minced-style products, meaning vegan burgers, sausages, and chicken pieces can continue to use meat-like labels.

Executives from affected companies said the decision took them by surprise, as “plant-based mince” has been used on supermarket shelves for over a decade without consumer confusion or regulatory challenge.

Rutger Rozendaal, CEO of The Vegetarian Butcher, said the sudden enforcement contradicts previous NVWA guidance and could mislead rather than inform shoppers.

He added that the 1998 decree was designed to ensure the safety and composition of animal meat and has no relevance to plant-based foods, which did not exist in the same form when the law was written.

The NVWA stated that while checking vegetarian mince labels has not been a recent priority, it could not overlook the issue after discovering violations during a broader review of meat alternative labeling.

Companies that fail to comply risk fines that could accumulate daily if corrections are not made.

Calls to Update Labeling Rules

The Green Protein Alliance, which represents supermarkets and plant-based food makers, has urged the government to modernize its labeling policies in light of the growing meat-free market.

Jessie van Hattum, a protein transition specialist with the group, argued that the term “plant-based mince” clearly conveys its content and helps consumers transition to sustainable diets.

She added that removing familiar food names could slow progress toward the 60% plant-based protein share the government hopes to reach by 2030.

This is not the first clash between vegan producers and Dutch authorities.

In 2012, The Vegetarian Butcher was told to drop the Dutch word “gehakt” (mince) from its labels, leading the brand to change it to “gehackt.”

A similar dispute in 2017 over terms like “fish-free tuna” and “smoked bacon bits” was eventually dropped following widespread public backlash.

The Dutch decision follows a European Parliament vote to extend meat-related naming restrictions across the EU, a proposal now awaiting consideration by the European Commission and Council.

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