In 2023, alongside its cultivated meat production injunction, Italy tried to ban ‘meaty’ names for plant-based products. This, according to the Italian Embassy’s Aurora Russi, was to avoid consumer confusion.
France’s similar ban, which was shot down in an EU court last year and later a French court, focused on the avoidance of consumer confusion as well.
Fears of consumer confusion have in these and other instances been used as the backbone of attempts to curb the use of ‘meaty’ names, such as ‘sausage’, ‘bacon’, ‘ham’ or ‘chicken’, for plant-based meat substitutes. Other bans, such as for plant-based dairy with ‘milk’ and cheese' names, have also been considered.
A new study explores whether such names actually do confuse consumers.
Are consumers confused?
The study, which was published in the journal Appetite, undertook a ‘categorisation’ task, where participants had to classify products as either animal-based or plant-based.
The study found that the presence of meat-like names for plant-based products led to significantly more mistakes.
It also found that ‘response latency’ was on average 116 milliseconds longer for plant-based products with meat-based names.
However, the study stressed that such a decision was based on more than simply the name. It is also based on the design of the label, the brand’s advertising, and where such a product is placed within the supermarket.
However, other research suggests that terminology, beyond meaty names, could contribute to consumer confusion.
“Two brand owners in the meat alt space have both said we have to put vegan back on products because no one knows what plant-based is,” said Karen Spinner, sales and marketing manager for the Vegan Society, at the IFE event in London this week.
“When you see a product marked as vegan it’s about knowing what’s in that product… if you’re wanting to get to flexis and vegans, then you can’t be misleading, especially with all the legislation changes.”
Previous research has also found consumer confusion. A 2023 survey by market research company Opinium claimed 20% of UK consumers have in the past confused animal-based and plant-based products because of labelling.
What did consumers think?
The present study also assessed what consumers thought of giving products ‘meat-based’ names.
According to the study, they were divided: while some thought that it could be misleading, others believed that it was perfectly acceptable.
Previous research has found opposition in the minority. A 2019 survey by the EU Member States by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) found 20.4% of those surveyed opposing the use of ‘meat-like’ labelling, and even among these, 42.4% would acquiesce if the product was clearly labelled.
A later survey by Browne Jacobson, however, found opposition from 38% of consumers.
Sourced From: Appetite
‘What’s in a name? Examining the confusion of meat-like terminology on meat imitating plant-based products’
Published on: 19 March 2025
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107965
Authors: L. Ketelings, R. C. Havermans, S. P.J. Kremers, K. Houben, A. de Boer
