Oatly ruling: What terms can plant-based food brands use?

Stuart Stone
clock • 11 min read
Credit: Oatly
Image:

Credit: Oatly

EXPLAINER: Despite Oatly being effectively banned from using the word 'milk' in its marketing, could the Supreme Court's recent ruling represent a 'moment of maturation' for the plant-based foods sector?

Last month, Oatly was effectively banned from using the word 'milk' to market its plant-based products in the UK after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld an earlier ruling in a long-running legal tussle...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

Stuart Stone
Author spotlight

Stuart Stone

View profile
More from Stuart Stone

Friendship's Runa Khan: 'Every failure taught us to think holistically'

Woodland Trust calls on government to allocate a fifth of £1bn tree planting budget to urban 'tree deserts'

More on Marketing

Poll: Majority of UK public want to see equal action to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts
Marketing

Poll: Majority of UK public want to see equal action to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts

Research shows public wants the government and private sector to do more to combat both the causes and impacts of climate change, but uncovers confusion over terms such as 'adaptation' and 'mitigation'

Amber Rolt
clock 14 July 2026 • 4 min read
Updated ASA ruling pours cold water on wood burning stove emissions claims
Marketing

Updated ASA ruling pours cold water on wood burning stove emissions claims

Watchdog amends ruling on stove emissions and efficiency following an independent review, but maintains that past claims were 'misleading'

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 08 July 2026 • 4 min read
Is the social media ban for under-16s a chance to go 'back to basics' on climate comms?
Marketing

Is the social media ban for under-16s a chance to go 'back to basics' on climate comms?

Communications experts share their thoughts on how the proposed ban on social media for under 16s might provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the UK's climate and nature discourse

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 02 July 2026 • 15 min read