Following a new decree in France, vegetable meat will have to change its name.
From October 1, 2022, a decree published in the Official Journal is preparing to prohibit names “steak”, “bacon” or “sausages” for products of vegetable origin. The end of a years-old fight between trade unions and animal exploitation lobbies, who accuse the plant-based meat market of sustaining the “deception” around their products. According to the text published Thursday, June 30, 2022, it will no longer be “not possible to use the terminology specific to the sectors traditionally associated with meat and fish to designate products that do not belong to the animal kingdom“.
Concretely, vegetable steaks, sausages without meat and other vegan bacon can no longer be marketed under this name. The decree currently only concerns products made in France, but the unions in the animal sector intend to take advantage of this victory to extend its scope of application to the whole of European territory. In the line of sight of the agri-food industry, we also find meat grown in the laboratory, obtained from the culture of animal cells.
What future for vegetable meat?
For its part, the National Observatory of Plant Food (Onav) already regrets this decree, which places France “in a conservative position, against the current issues and European policy on these issues”.
(3/3) harmful foods in terms of sustainability and to promote healthy and sustainable options, it risks hindering and delaying the development of the plant-based sector in France as well as the transition to healthier and more sustainable plant-based diets .
— National Observatory of Plant Food (@Obsvegetal) June 30, 2022
In line with an obvious logic of economic protection and marketing of the animal industry, this decree raises questions about environmental issues related to the meat market, but above all on France’s priorities in the face of the need to quickly adapt our diet. In its latest report, the IPCC already warned of the need to reduce our animal consumption in favor of plants. For Onav, the decree “risks hindering and delaying the development of the plant-based sector in France as well as the transition towards healthier and more sustainable plant-based diets“.
Why is this a bad idea?
For a few years now, the confusion between a vegan steak and a meat steak is no longer really allowed. On the contrary even, brands are betting big on this more ethical than taste differentiation between traditional products and their vegetable preparations. Especially since if this decision is ecological nonsense, it also risks scaring French companies away from the borders. Indeed, the ban will only concern products made in France. Plant-based meat made in Europe will be able to keep its designation.
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Remember that in parallel with this decree, nitrites, a substance particularly used in the preservation of meat and charcuterie, has just been recognized as carcinogenic by ANSES. For years, the additive is singled out without any health decision being taken against it. Since February 2022, a simple “decline trajectory” had been validated by the National Assembly to reduce the maximum doses in charcuterie.
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