Clear Labelling Petition for Food Safety

The Vegan Society of Aotearoa and the New Zealand Vegetarian Society formally handed in a petition to Ban Misleading Labelling on Vegetarian and Vegan Products. There is currently no legislation in force to say what is vegan or vegetarian in this country, which causes problems and confusion for many consumers.

The Societies are demanding additional legislation requiring factual and clear labelling on consumer products. The current ambiguity in product labelling creates significant consumer confusion and undermines trust. The lack of stringent regulations around the use of terms like "plant-based," "vegetarian," and "vegan" creates consumer confusion and dilutes the integrity of these labels. Clear, standardised, and enforceable labelling regulations are essential to protect consumers and support informed, ethical purchasing decisions.

“We want to help consumers make ethical choices simply and easily. If a product is labelled as “vegan” or “plant-based”, then there should be no animal products or by products in the food. All too often foods that have these labels are then found to contain milk solids or honey etc. It is also confusing when foods have meaningless labels such “Less dairy” or “Lower fat”, it is of no benefit to the consumer and does not help with making informed purchases”, said Vegan Society spokesperson, Claire Insley.

Ina Babic of the NZ Vegetarian Society added “We envision a future where consumers can make informed, ethical, and confident choices about the products they purchase. By advocating for clear, standardised, and enforceable labelling regulations, we aim to eliminate ambiguity and ensure transparency in the labelling of vegetarian, and vegan products. The term "vegetarian" should be reserved for products that contain no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Additionally, any use of animal by-products (such as gelatine, rennet, or certain colourants) should be clearly indicated.”

The current Food Standards Code provides a foundation for food labelling requirements, but it lacks specific provisions for vegan and vegetarian labelling, leading to ambiguity and confusion for consumers. Introducing new provisions that standardise and clarify these terms would address these shortcomings, aligning with the Code's objectives of consumer protection and fair-trade practices. This appears to be a problem globally and one that many countries are taking steps to correct, as this could be dangerous for people with allergies to dairy and eggs, in particular.

Consumers in Aotearoa deserve to know what they are buying without having to resort to reading every item on the ingredients label. If a product is labelled vegan, or plant-based, it should mean that no animal products or by-products were used at any stage of the manufacturing process. The term "vegetarian" should be reserved for products that contain no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Additionally, any use of animal by-products (such as gelatine, rennet, or certain colourants) should be clearly indicated.

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