“The term ‘chicken’ refers to poultry, that is, an animal,” the federal court said in a statement, adding that under Swiss law “all information about food products must be in keeping with reality”.
As such, “a plant-based product which refers to the term ‘chicken’ and does not contain meat is a deception”, it added following a public hearing about overturning a lower court ruling.
“Imitation products” but also “publicity for these products” must be “designed in such a way to allow the consumer to recognise the type of food and differentiate it from products with which it could be confused”, it added.
The ruling comes in a long-running case involving the Swiss company Planted Foods, which manufactures pea-based meat substitute products such as burgers, steaks and sausages.
In 2021, it made the world’s longest schnitzel — a 119-metre (390-foot) breaded Viennese cutlet made from pea protein.
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Company co-founder Judith Wemmer said she was “disappointed” by the decision but added that it seemed to be “driven by politics and emotions” and was at odds with the Swiss government’s promotion of more plant-based diets.
“Rather than helping consumers with simple, clear terminology, unnecessary bureaucracy is being created — wasting valuable resources,” she added in a statement.
She pointed to a study which indicated that an overwhelming majority of consumers were able to differentiate between meat and plant-based products “within seconds”, she added.
Despite the ruling, generic terms such as “steak” or “fillet” can still be used.
Switzerland’s consumer protection body said in 2021 that plant-based products should not be described using animal names.
The company took the case to court, which initially had a ruling in its favour. But the interior ministry appealed to the federal court in Zurich, which ruled on Friday to overturn that decision.
