ProVeg International says new ISO standard will have “profound impact”
A newly published international standard will serve to increase trust in the global plant-based food industry, ProVeg International has said.
The standard is called “Plant-based foods and food ingredients — Definitions and technical criteria for labelling and claims” and is published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
“We expect the new standard to have a profound impact on industry,” Martine van Haperen, a food service and food industry expert at ProVeg International, said.
“In addition to giving guidance for voluntary corporate labelling policies, it could be a first step towards governmental legislation regarding the labelling of plant-based foods, further solidifying consumer trust in this product claim,” Van Haperen said.
The first ISO guidance of its kind
Consumer research shows that ‘plant-based’ is one of the most appealing claims to label products that don’t contain animal ingredients.
Previously, there was no internationally recognised guideline on how this claim should be used. As a result, foods containing animal ingredients are occasionally labelled as ‘plant-based’, which risks confusing consumers and damaging their trust in this claim.
The ISO standard provides clear guidance for manufacturers and retailers worldwide to preserve and promote ‘plant-based’ as a claim that is widely trusted and appreciated by consumers.
“Adherence to ISO standards is voluntary, so we need to wait and see how this standard is received and implemented across various cultural, economical and political spaces,” Van Haperen said.
“However, ISO is a widely respected institute and this standard was created with input from food industry partners and NGOs around the world,” she added.
Influential standard
For the past three years, Martine has represented ProVeg in the worldwide ISO working group developing a standard for products that can be labelled plant-based.
ISO is a very influential institute and this standard will likely influence both corporate and governmental food-labelling policy.
The standard will cover two types of foods:
- Food with no animal ingredients which can be labelled plant-based.
- Food with limited and conditional use of animal ingredients.
Foods in the second category cannot be labelled plant-based, except with a qualifier, for instance as “plant-based vegetarian”. They can also be called something else, like “plant-strong”. This is left up to the manufacturer to decide. The use of animal-derived ingredients must be clearly and transparently highlighted on the label to prevent consumers from being misled.
“While this second category isn’t what we would define as strictly plant-based, it’s a compromise, helping to satisfy mixed-stakeholder politics. Given the strength of the first category, ProVeg welcomes the new standard, which reflects strong consensus among industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders,” van Haperen said.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected].
For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
