Jul 01, 2022 17:00:00

France bans the use of words such as 'steak' and 'sausage' in 100% plant-derived meat substitutes

In recent years,

food manufacturers and eating out chains have released all products and menus that use alternative meats such as 100% plant-derived soybean meat , and even vegetarians (vegetarians) can feel free to make alternative meats like meat. It is possible to enjoy it. France has banned such plant-based meat substitutes from being named in a way that is reminiscent of meat, such as 'steak' or 'sausage.'

France bans use of ′ steak, ′ ′ sausage ′ to describe vegetarian products | News | DW | 30.06.2022
https://www.dw.com/en/france-bans-use-of-steak-sausage-to-describe-vegetarian-products/a-62321333

Don't call it meat if it's made with plants, France says | Reuters
https://jp.reuters.com/article/france-food-meat/dont-call-it-meat-if-its-made-with-plants-france-says-idUKL8N2YH47P

On Thursday, June 30, 2022 local time, the French government issued a decree prohibiting the use of words such as 'steak' and 'sausage' in plant-derived foods. This decree was proposed in 2020 and has been decided to come into effect this time, and is scheduled to come into effect in October 2022. France is the first European Union (EU) to enforce a ban on product names for plant-based foods.

Regarding this decree, the French government says, 'Traditionally, we cannot use specific terms related to meat and fish to specify products that do not belong to the animal kingdom and are essentially incomparable.' Please note that this regulation will only apply to products made in France. FNSEA , the leading organization of agricultural cooperatives and regional coalitions in France, says similar legislation needs to be enacted at the national level, but the EU rejected similar proposals in 2020.

On the other hand, words such as 'butter', 'milk' and 'cheese' cannot be used in the product names of plant-based foods as they are already regulated by the EU. However, words such as 'hamburger' can still be used in the names of products that use meat substitutes. A spokeswoman for Interbev , the French Meat Industry Association, said: 'Manufacturers such as Beyond Meat , Impossible Foods , and Burger King in the United States use the word'hamburger'to attract consumers. It's not just about meat, so it's still allowed to be used in plant-derived foods. '

'Impossible Foods', which is 100% plant-based but has gravy when baked and has a taste and smell of meat itself --GIGAZINE

Many people who are interested in climate change and animal welfare are becoming interested in plant-derived foods, and the food market for vegetarians is expanding rapidly not only in Japan but worldwide. As a result, global food manufacturers are making large investments, and manufacturers such as Danone and Nestle are also increasing their investment in the plant-derived food market.