France has revealed revised proposals on Monday that aim to ban the use of meat names like “steak” and “spare ribs” for plant-based food produced in the country. The goal of this move is to prevent “misleading claims” made by some meat alternatives. France is the first country in the European Union to attempt such a restriction. Previously, the country had tried to pass a similar measure in June last year, but it was suspended by the highest administrative court due to vagueness and a short timeline.
The global plant-based protein market has been rapidly growing, driven by the increasing demand for environmentally friendly and healthy food. However, the industry’s use of meat-related terms has caused dissatisfaction among livestock farmers and meat processors in France, which is the largest agricultural producer in the EU.
The new draft decree, applicable only to products made and sold within France, prohibits the use of 21 meat-related names to describe protein-based products. These banned names include “steak”, “escalope”, “spare ribs”, “ham”, and “butcher”. However, more than 120 meat-related names such as “cooked ham”, “poultry”, “sausage”, and “bacon” will still be allowed, as long as the products do not contain plant proteins exceeding certain percentages, ranging from 0.5% to 6%.
French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau stated that this new draft decree aims to address misleading claims by using meat-related names for food products that do not contain meat. He emphasized the importance of transparency and loyalty to meet the expectations of both consumers and producers.
However, the term “burger”, often used by many brands to attract consumers, is not included in the list of banned names.
The decree will become effective three months after its publication, allowing operators time to adjust their labeling practices. Manufacturers will also have the opportunity to sell all product stocks labeled before the decree’s enforcement, within a maximum timeframe of one year after publication.
Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise
Credit: The Star : News Feed
