On 10.3.21 ISO(International Organization for Standardization) unveiled a new standard on labeling criteria for Veg, vegetarian and vegan foods, ISO 23662:2021. Composition and process requirements, labeling and permissible information.
A step forward from the European Commission’s starvation, which-having been delegated to clarify the concepts of ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’ food in Reg. 1169/11-has not yet done so (1,2).
The ISO standard is consistent with guidelines at the time prepared by the Food Standard Agency (UK, 2006) and European Vegetarian Union, (3) but vegan associations protest.
‘100% plant-based‘ is not enough to guarantee ethics, so values and requirements of organic certification are reaffirmed.
‘V’ for Veg, the first petition in Brussels
The petition to the European Commission proposed by German citizen Simon Schmid called for the application of the ‘V’ logo on labels of foods suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. So as to facilitate consumer choice without forcing consumers to consult ingredient lists that are in some cases omissive in this respect due to loopholes in EU rules (e.g., gelatins, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, food additives and rennet of unknown origin, rennet in rarely vegetarian cheeses).
However, the European Commission had objected that the required provision was superfluous, as:
– food business operators are always and in all cases responsible for the truthfulness and non-deceptiveness of voluntary information offered to consumers,
– the authorities in charge of official controls, in individual member states, must supervise compliance with the aforementioned standards comply with what is stated in Article 36(2) of Reg. EU 1169/11. (4)
Veg food labeling, second attempt in Brussels
The European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Food Labeling for Vegetarians/Vegetarians,’ registered by the Commission on 12.11.18, in turn proposed a graphic symbol to distinguish non-vegetarian, vegetarian, vegan foods at a glance. However, the initiative did not reach the minimum required threshold, one million signatures in at least 7 countries, to gain consideration in Brussels. (5)
Conversely, the nutritional safety of Veg foods has not garnered attention, from the concerned community. The writer (Dongo) had at the time suggested adding on the labeling front of Veg, vegetarian and vegan, processed foods-increasingly common, as it turned out-essential data to understand the role of a portion of them in the diet (e.g., source of protein, source of fiber). (6)
ISO 23662:2021, objectives and scope
ISO 23662:2021 is the new international reference standard for Veg labeling. On an optional basis, it is applicable to foods and food ingredients presented as compatible with dietary choices:
– ovo-lacto-vegetarian
– ovo-vegetarian
– lacto-vegetarian
– vegan. (7)
The objective of the standard is to ensure fair trade and consumer information. Outside its scope are food safety requirements (set out instead in ISO 22000/2018), packaging material characteristics, animal welfare, and other socio-economic considerations (e.g., fair trade, religious precepts). (8)
Protests by vegan associations
Vegan World Alliance
had already sharply criticized the work of Technical Committee TC34, in ISO, accusing it of astroturfing. That is, orchestrating a deceptive public relations campaign through the contributions of outside parties and to the detriment of consumers (9,10).
Protests have also been raised by Vegan Society, VeganOK, AssoVegan (Italy), Vegan France Interpro and SAFE (Safe Food Advocacy Europe), for failure to consider the rights of animals with respect to experimentation and exploitation in agricultural work, destination of genetic material for GMO practices, production of packaging Food and obtaining by-products. (11)
From ‘vegan‘ to ‘100% plant-based‘. Better yet, organic
The unheeded comments of the vegan association system are worth showing the evolution of this concept into a broader paradigm that considers ethical aspects beyond the composition of foods with only plant ingredients. Vegan OK for example excludes certification of products with palm oil as a primary cause of land robbery, deforestation and genocide of orangutans, and exploitation of children.
‘100% plant-based‘ thus appears to be the correct wording to express the concept of ‘plant-based food‘ that does not contemplate further socio-environmental sustainability guarantees of the supply chain. Keeping in mind that this label, like the ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ ones, does not exclude the use of GMO ingredients and microorganisms, nor the use of agrotoxics in agriculture. Organic system certification is indeed the only true guarantee of all-round sustainability, garrisoned by binding European standards and strengthened official controls.
Dario Dongo and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna
Notes
(1) Dario Dongo. Vegetarian and vegan. GIFT(Great Italian FoodTrade). 8/22/17, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/vegetariano-e-vegano
(2) Dario Dongo. Vegetarian and vegan, another bluff from Brussels. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 7.11.17, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/vegetariano-e-vegano-un-altro-bluff-da-bruxelles
(3) Dario Dongo. Is cheese vegetarian? No. Here’s how to recognize it from the label. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 22.4.17. https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/il-formaggio-è-vegetariano-nì-ecco-come-riconoscerlo-dall-etichetta
(4) European Parliament. Petition no. 0473/2017, submitted by Simon Schmid, a German citizen, on the labeling of vegetarian and vegan food. Committee on Petitions, 12/20/17, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PETI-CM-615547_IT.pdf?redirect
(5) European Commission, Decision (EU) 2018/1701 on the proposed citizens’ initiative entitled “Mandatory Labeling of Foods as Non-Vegetarian/Vegetarian/Vegetarian . Updates at https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/initiatives/details/2018/000007_en
(6) Dario Dongo. Vegetarian and Vegan, identity and guarantees. Proposal. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) 18.6.17, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/vegetariano-e-vegano-identità-e-garanzie-una-proposta
(7) International Organization for Standardization (2021) ISO 23662:2021. Definitions and technical criteria for foods and food ingredients suitable for vegetarians or vegans and for labeling and claims – Abstract. https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:23662:ed-1:v1:en
(8) ISO News. Vegetarian product labeling. 10.3.21, https://www.iso.org/news/ref2634.html (accessed 12.3.21).
(9) Vegan World Alliance complains that participants in the drafting of ISO 23662 would have ‘conflicts of interest’ with the food industries, ignoring how the participation of supply chain representatives is established and essential, in TC 34 as in other ISO technical committees, precisely to ensure technical convergence on technical standards
(10) Vegan World Alliance rejects ISO-23662. 7.6.20, https://www.veganworldalliance.org/news/article/2020/06/07/vwa-iso-23662-rejection.html (accessed 12.3.21)
(11) Vegan Society. Joint letter International Standard ISO-DIS 23662. 24.11.20, %20Standard% (accessed 12.3.21).
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in Food Technologies and Biotechnologies, qualified food technologist, he follows the research and development area. With particular regard to European research projects (in Horizon 2020, PRIMA) where the FARE division of WIISE Srl, a benefit company, participates.
