German Minister Calls for Ban of Vegan “Meat” Labels

During an interview with local news outlet Bild, German minister of agriculture Christian Schmidt called for a ban on the reference to meat by vegan companies. Schmidt said that terms such as “vegan currywurst” and “vegetarian schnitzel” are misleading to consumers, stating, “what is on it should also be in it.” Earlier this year, the minister also petitioned the European Union to place pork on all school menus, disregarding the dietary restrictions of Muslim students. Germany—particularly Berlin—has experienced a plant-based boom recently. According to a report compiled by research firm Mintel in April, one in 10 new German products now bear the vegan label and vegetarian options increased by 633 percent in the past five years. Stateside, a group of congressmen recently petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of “milk” on vegan labels.