New version of the Guidelines for vegan and vegetarian foods with similarities to foods of animal origin
German Food Codex Commission publishes amendments
Dec 2024. In June 2024, the German Food Codex Commission adopted the new version of the "Guidelines for vegan and vegetarian foods with similarities to foods of animal origin". These were published on 9 October 2024 and can be found in the original document on the website of the Food Codex Commission[1]. The guidelines have been drawn up by representatives of the consumer, business, food monitoring and scientific communities. We have summarised the main changes for you.
Overview of the changes
- Clarification of the scope of application
- Establishment of a new list of currently common "substitute ingredients and basic ingredients":
- Vegetables, cereals, mushrooms, legumes and products thereof
(specific products made from cereals and pulses are e.g. tofu, seitan and tempeh) - Edible vegetable fats and oils
- Fruits, e.g. jackfruit
- Nuts, e.g. almonds, cashew nuts
- Protein isolates and concentrates, e.g. from soy, peas, wheat
- For vegetarian foods, e.g. milk and milk products, eggs and egg products as well as honey are also used
- Description of the different criteria for the assessment of "sensory similarity"
- More precise characteristics relating to appearance, smell, taste, mouthfeel, texture and consistency are listed
- Further explanation of the degree of sensory similarity:
- Sufficient sensory similarity: clearly perceptible similarity
- Extensive sensory similarity: almost comprehensive similarity
- In principle, the following applies: the more sensory similarity a vegan or vegetarian food has to the reference food of animal origin, the closer its name can be to it
- Specification of the designations, now divided into separate paragraphs for "common similarities" and "uncommon similarities"
New version of the guidelines for sensory testing
The "Guidelines for sensory testing of vegan and vegetarian foods with similarities to foods of animal origin"[2] were published by the Food Association (in German: Lebensmittelverband), ALS and ALTS on 19 November 2024. They take into account the amended current version of the "Guidelines for vegan and vegetarian foods with similarities to foods of animal origin" as well as the discussions and consensus of all participants in the expert committee from different circles. The aim is to make it easier for industry and food monitoring to carry out sensory testing.
Background to the guidelines
The range of products for vegans and vegetarians has grown considerably in recent years, including many meat substitutes. The designation of these foods, which often resembles the original, has caused confusion and questions among many consumers. This prompted the Commission to amend the guidelines for vegan and vegetarian foods with similarities to foods of animal origin. The new version of the first guidelines, published in December 2018, is now more specific and easier to understand.
The guidelines of the Commission are only published in German, as they describe the German market perception, i.e. production, quality or other characteristics, taking into account the manufacturing or commercial practice and the legitimate expectations of consumers of foods on the German market.
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Relevant sources
[1] DLMK (2024): Leitsätze für vegane und vegetarische Lebensmittel (Lebensmittelbuch-Kommission) (in German)
[2] Food Federation Germany (2024): Leitfaden für sensorische Prüfungen von veganen und vegetarischen Lebensmitteln mit Ähnlichkeit zu Lebensmitteln tierischen Ursprungs (Lebensmittelverband Deutschland) (in German)
