The Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed a draft decree to revise food labeling regulations. These amendments specifically target plant-based meat substitutes, impacting how these items are marketed.

The draft change released seeks to control the use of certain words traditionally associated with animal-based meats, like ham, smoked meat, and sausage, in the labeling and marketing of vegan meat alternatives. This move follows demands from numerous agricultural organizations, arguing for legal protection of these terms to avoid consumer confusion.

Analyst QuickTake: The issue of meaty terms in plant-based meats has been one of divided opinion, with farmers and legislators alleging it causes consumer confusion, while advocates for plant-based products suggest otherwise. Despite surveys by ProVeg International showing evidence that consumers are not confused by current labeling, several US states, France , and Italy have passed bills prohibiting meat-like terms in plant-based products.