Alpro Banned from using Misleading Yoghurt Name
NETHERLANDS - A Dutch Court has chosen to prevent soy-based food and beverage manufacturer Alpro from using"yoghurt" and derived terms in its marketing and advertising campaigns, saying that it is misleading for consumers.
12 June 2012
2 minute read
The trial took place betweeen the Dutch Dairy Association (NZO) and Alpro. Alpro was summoned for the misleading use of
the term ‘yoghurt’ in its marketing and advertising activities. The use of the terms ‘yoghurt’, ‘yoghurt variations’
and ‘yoghurt cultures’ on the packaging of Alpro’s ‘Mild & Creamy’ product range suggests that ‘Mild & Creamy’
is a dairy product - which it is not.
The court in Breda agreed with NZO that this wording is misleading and decided that Alpro can no longer use
the confusing terms in marketing and advertising campaigns for its products. According to the court in Breda the
use of these terms is in violation of the European regulations on the protected denomination of dairy products.
Alpro must stop using the term ‘yoghurt’ and all its derivations in relation to its product ‘Mild & Creamy’
immediately.
Joop Kleibeuker, Secretary General of the European Dairy Association, is pleased with the outcome of this trial: ‘As an organisation defending
the interests of the European dairy sector, we can only welcome the decision of the judge in Breda. This verdict
is an important precedent and underlines once more the need for clear product information and indications on
packaging and marketing materials. Dairy products are a specific food category with a whole range of health
and nutritional benefits, which are not necessarily present in vegetable alternatives.
"Using dairy-specific terms
such as ‘yoghurt’ when marketing vegetable products is therefore misleading for the consumer. We sincerely
hope that this decision will pave the way for a more careful use of dairy-specific terms in advertising and
marketing campaigns," Mr Kleibeuker concluded.
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