Responsibility for Vegan Dishes in Gastronomy Katja Štemberger Brizani1 I. Introduction. – II. The Legal Status of Veganism. – III. Legal Framework and Conceptual Uncertainty Regarding Veganism in EU Law. – IV. Legal Obligations Related to Vegan Labelling in the Food Service Sector. 4.1 Information Duties under EU Food Law. 4.2 Legal Risks Arising from Misleading Use of Vegan Claims. 4.3 Compliance Strategies and Legal Risk Management. – V. Civil and Administrative Liability for Mislabelled or Contaminated Vegan Dishes. 5.1 Private Law Liability: Contractual and Non-Contractual Claims. 5.2 Administrative Liability for Food Safety and Misleading Information. – VI. Conclusion The increasing popularity of veganism in European gastronomy raises important legal questions for food business operators. Although vegan dishes are now a common part of restaurant and catering menus, there is still no harmonised legal definition of “vegan” at the EU level. This legal gap creates uncertainty for both providers and consumers. The article examines how existing EU food, consumer protection, and human rights law apply to the offering and labelling of vegan dishes in the hospitality sector. It explores the responsibilities of food business operators when using vegan claims, particularly in cases of mislabelling, cross-contamination, or unmet consumer expectations. Drawing on EU and selected national sources, the article shows that food business operators must ensure that vegan labels are accurate, clear, and not misleading, in order to comply with legal obligations and maintain consumer trust in a rapidly evolving gastronomic sector. Keywords: gastronomy, veganism, food business operators, food law, consumer protection, human rights, food labelling, legal responsibility. I. INTRODUCTION The increasing prevalence of vegan dietary practices within the European Union, driven by ethical, environmental, and health-related motivations, has DOI 10.60559/gl08 1 Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana.
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