Vegan Cheese so good they want to make it illegal!
You might have heard the news that late last year the European Parliament voted yes to Amendment 171, meaning that - if adopted - plant-based businesses in the EU won’t be able to describe their products using wording such as “dairy alternatives”, “milk” or “cheese”, or anything that associates it with dairy at all.
Why? Milk lobbyists are arguing that current labelling is confusing to consumers 🤦. That’s right, they’re trying to convince those in power that consumers can’t tell the difference between dairy and dairy-free products (even when labelled with phrases such as “does not contain milk”). The ban would also mean that businesses won’t be able to openly state or compare the health and environmental benefits of dairy-free products in comparison to their dairy counterparts, due to the potential impact on the dairy industry’s ‘reputation’… yeah, don’t even get us started on that! To find out more about what the ban means, check out this great rundown from the legends at Oatly, which you can read here.
Quite frankly, we think it's *udder* madness (well, that’s a very polite version of our initial response) as if successful, this could be hugely damaging. Not only would it be a massive blow to the plant-based industry from an animal rights standpoint, it could also hinder the growing trend of consumers trying to choose more environmentally friendly products – something that’s incredibly important , now more than ever, given the urgency of the current climate crisis.
If you think this amendment is as ridiculous as we do, please sign the petition here. Meanwhile, we’ll be over here brainstorming new product descriptions that don’t include “cheese” or “dairy”- 🤢 mouldy nut block anyone? If you’ve got any better suggestions, or just hilarious ones, drop us a message on social here with your best (or worst!) ideas…