“Liqueur without egg” gets green light from court

Germany’s Kiel Regional Court has ruled that a liqueur producer from Henstedt-Ulzburg can label its vegan drink as “Liqueur without egg” or “Alternative without egg.” The producer was being sued by the Protection Association of the Spirits Industry through a dispute over the marketing and the naming of the vegan drinks. 

The association came forward with the complaint that the name including “without egg” could be misleading to consumers, stating that it can be confused easily with a traditional eggnog drink. The court however, decided that there could be no case of confusion since the label will clearly state there would be no eggs used in the drink. 

Can egg liqueurs be called “without egg”?

It is still not permissible to market eggnogs with “without egg” in the label according to EU regulations. So, “eggnog without egg” would not be possible to use in egg liqueurs, and the manufacturer that was sued did use this naming in a few cases. They have been issued a fine over that specific use, but can continue to market their egg liqueur product under “Liqueur without egg.” 

In regard to the sentencing of the fine, an appeal can still be made against the decision, but this is yet to be determined. The dispute over vegan products and their names still continues. EU countries are still ruling in favor or against using names such as burger, schnitzel, and more meat product names in such vegan alternatives.