Europêche has welcomed a new European Parliament study addressing labelling concerns around plant-based seafood substitutes.
The report, titled ‘Labelling of plant-based seafood substitutes – Scope and issues at stake’, outlines growing issues related to misleading marketing and product labelling and calls for legal updates to protect consumer transparency.
“This is not about plant-based vs seafood,” said Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche. “It’s about truth in advertising. When a consumer picks up a product, they deserve to know exactly what it is, what it contains and how it’s made. This study provides a constructive roadmap to get us there.”
The study highlights the rapid rise of plant-based seafood alternatives and identifies confusion caused by the use of commercial fish names and seafood imagery on products that contain no actual seafood.
It found that 45% of products analysed use invented names that imply a seafood link, while only 13% provide clear enough information for consumers to understand what they are buying.
Europêche supports the report’s core recommendation: prohibit the use of fish species names on plant-based products and enforce stricter labelling regulations. The organisation argues that current practices risk misleading consumers and run counter to the EU’s Food Information to Consumers Regulation, which prohibits false or deceptive food labelling.
In addition to product naming, the report warns that many plant-based alternatives are ultra-processed, high in salt or fat and contain added supplements rather than naturally occurring nutrients like omega-3.
Europêche is calling for amendments to EU food labelling laws, improved transparency on ingredients and processing, and the launch of a dedicated action plan for blue foods to support authentic European seafood and safeguard consumer trust across the market.
