World's No.1 Food Company Nestle Loses Trademark Dispute Against US Alternative Meat Startup

▲Nestl?'s flagship product made from alternative meat, 'Incredible Burger' [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The global No.1 food company Nestl?'s flagship alternative meat product, the 'Incredible Burger,' will no longer be available. This follows the Hague court in the Netherlands ruling in favor of the startup Impossible Foods in a trademark dispute.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 1st (local time), Nestl? has decided to abandon the 'Incredible Burger' trademark it had been using for alternative meat burgers in Europe and will sell the product under the name 'Sensational Burger' following the Hague court's order. Under the court's ruling, Nestl? must recall the Incredible Burger from the European market within four weeks, and failure to comply will result in a daily fine of 25,000 euros (approximately 34.1 million KRW).

The Hague court stated, "The Incredible Burger trademark is similar to Impossible Foods' and may cause confusion among consumers," adding, "It appears that Nestl? intended to hinder Impossible Foods' entry into the European alternative meat market by using a trademark similar to Impossible Foods'."

As grounds for this, the court noted that Nestl? had negotiations for a partnership with Impossible Foods in 2018 but shifted direction to launch its own product. Currently, Impossible Foods is preparing to enter the European market.

Nestl? said, "Adjectives that describe products like 'Incredible' should be available for anyone to use." It also stated it would comply with the court order but expressed its intention to appeal.

Impossible Foods said, "We appreciate the court recognizing the importance of trademark rights and supporting our efforts to protect our trademark against a large multinational corporation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.