Alpro has responded to a Dutch court restricting the use of the word ‘yoghurt’ for soya products by saying it welcomes the clarity the ruling creates and stressing it will still be able to call its products ‘plant-based yoghurt variation’.
The soya products manufacturer was taken to court by Dutch dairy industry group NZO, which wanted Alpro to cease using any mention of the word ‘yoghurt’ when referring to its Mild & Creamy yoghurt alternative because consumers might confuse it for a dairy product.
In a ruling made on 30 May, a court in Breda agreed with NZO that Alpro should not be allowed to use ‘yoghurt’ on its own in a way that could suggest Mild & Creamy is a dairy product. But it said the company would be able to use ‘yoghurt’ in combination with other words – such as ‘plant-based yoghurt variation’ – that make it clear the product is not a dairy product.
Alpro added the ruling would also allow it to continue using slogans such as ‘If you love yoghurt, try Alpro Mild & Creamy’ and ‘Alpro has conquered the yoghurt shelf’ – as well as describing its products as ‘an alternative to yoghurt’.
Alpro said the court’s ruling was in keeping with its stance on clear and transparent product labelling, and reflected “the reality that consumers have long associated the words milk, cream and yoghurt with plant-based products such as soya.”
Bernard Deryckere, Alpro’s chief executive, said the decision had created an even playing field for dairy and plant-based products.
“We advocate honest competition, where there is room for both dairy-based yoghurt and soya-based plant based variations,” he said. “The judge ruled that this is a reasonable and justified position.”
The ruling affects the Netherlands only and has no impact on Alpro’s products in the UK.
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