Why Vegan Cheese Can't Be Called “Cheese”

Why We Can't Call It “Vegan Cheese” (Even Though Everyone Else Does)

Veggie Karma has been sanctioned for using the term “vegan cheese.” In this article, we explain why we believe it’s the consumer who should have the final say.

The case of “vegan cheese”: when the law goes one way and society goes the other

At Veggie Karma, we've spent years crafting plant-based ferments inspired by traditional cheeses, using ingredients like cashews, lupin beans, and natural cultures. But in 2023, we received a notice from the Catalan Consumer Agency for using the term “vegan cheese” on our website.

A sanction procedure for using the wrong words

On August 3rd, 2023, the administration asked us to remove phrases like “vegan mozzarella” or “cheese with pumpkin chorizo,” as well as URLs containing “vegan cheese.” We had 15 days to make the changes. Shortly after, on September 18th, an official sanction procedure began. The fine was €4,001, which we paid with a reduced amount of €2,400.60.

Adapting hasn’t been easy

We made a huge effort to comply with the regulation. We removed the term “vegan cheese” from our entire website and product pages, except in informative contexts like “Warning: this is not cheese, it’s vegan”, to clearly explain the product. We also rewrote all texts using terms like “plant-based ferment”, “vegan alternative”, or “plant-based fermented preparation”.

But consumers still call it vegan cheese

Here lies the contradiction. Because no matter what the law says, people still call it vegan cheese. On the street, in shops, in media, in supermarkets, on Google and social media. No one searches for “plant-based fermented alternative with cheese-like texture made from nuts.” They search for vegan cheese. Because they know what it means: a dairy-free plant-based alternative to traditional cheese. No trickery, no confusion.

It’s not about misleading—it’s about clear communication

Our packaging, website, and messaging have always made it clear that our products are 100% plant-based. We've never tried to pass off our ferments as dairy products. In fact, the word “vegan” makes that obvious. Calling it “vegan cheese” simply reflects everyday usage—not deceptive marketing.

If the consumer doesn’t identify with the law, who is the law for?

When a regulation is so disconnected from social usage, it loses its effectiveness. You can change all your labels, correct your website, rewrite your menu—but if consumers keep looking for and saying “vegan cheese”, the real impact is zero. Language is meant to connect, not to confuse.

A second sanction, even after compliance

In November 2024, we received a second sanction notice, this time for keeping phrases like “not vegan cheese” or “vegan mozzarella” in educational or informative parts of our site. Ironically, the law requires us to explain what our products are… but using the language people understand is also being penalized.

We’re moving forward—with more clarity than ever

We’ll continue adapting our language to comply with the law. But we’ll also keep defending the right to call things what people already understand them as. As a society, we've already decided what it’s called: vegan cheese.

And that’s okay. Just like we say “electric car”, we all understand it’s a different kind of car, adapted to a new reality.

Thank you for being here, for understanding, for reading to the end, and for still calling it vegan cheese—even when the law says otherwise.