On November 29, 2023, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) held a public hearing in Brussels, Belgium to discuss the issue of labeling plant-based imitation fishery products. The purpose of the hearing was to promote debate about the regulation around the labeling of plant-based “fish,” and several representatives from both the fishery sector and plant-based food sector provided analyses of and different perspectives on the topic.
Under current EU law (Regulation 1169/2011), food information must not mislead, and food information must be precise, clear and easily understandable for the consumer. However, as the popularity of plant-based alternatives to meat and fish begin to rise, there is a concern that the law enables labeling and marketing of some products that may mislead consumers.