France draws a clear line between meat and vegan alternatives
A new decree in France clearly separates meat and fish products from vegetarian alternatives. Labelling rules are being tightened.
From 1 October, sausages in France may only be called sausages if they are made from meat.
A decree adopted on 30 June 2022 is intended to ensure that meat and fish products are clearly distinguished from vegetarian alternatives. As a result, terms such as steak or sausage, which are commonly used for meat products, will no longer be permitted for non-animal foods.
The decree also sets the maximum content of plant-based proteins permitted in foods of animal origin that contain a proportion of plant proteins, while still allowing them to retain their names from the meat practice code. For example, a minced meat patty may continue to be called a steak, provided its plant protein content does not exceed 7%. This percentage drops to 3% for frankfurters, 1% for black pudding or dried sausage, and 0.5% for bacon.
France is thus the first country in the European Union to introduce such a restriction. The regulation currently applies only to products manufactured in France.
Farmers’ associations therefore called on the government to advocate for an EU-wide regulation in Brussels.
Based on a ruling by the European Court of Justice, a similar regulation already applies EU-wide to dairy substitute products: yoghurt, milk, or cheese made from plant-based ingredients may not, with few exceptions, be marketed as such.
The «Observatoire national de l’alimentation végétal», an association of scientists and health experts specialising in meat alternatives, criticizes the measure as clearly serving to protect the economic interests of the meat industry.
At the same time, it argues, the measure endangers the transition in France towards more sustainable and healthier plant-based alternatives to meat, the production of which is considered highly damaging to the climate.
