France reignites bid to ban use of words ‘steak’, ‘spare ribs’ for plant-based food

The French government has introduced new proposals to ban the use of meat names like "steak" and "spare ribs" for plant-based food made in the country as it seeks to avoid "misleading claims".

The proposed decree bans a list of 21 meat names to describe protein-based products, including “steak”, “escalope”, “spare ribs”, “ham” or “butcher”.

However, over 120 meat-associated names such as "cooked ham", "poultry", "sausage" or "bacon" will still be authorised provided that the products do not exceed a certain amount of plant protein, with percentages ranging between 0.5 per cent and 6 per cent.

Also, the word "burger", used by many brands to attract consumers, is not included on the lists.

The rules would be applicable to products made and sold in France, the EU’s largest agricultural producer.

To maintain transparency

The guideline was unveiled on Monday (Sept 4) to maintain “transparency and honesty responding to the legitimate expectations of consumers and producers”, Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau said in a statement.

The proposals, which were first announced in June last year, had to go through some changes after the French courts objected to them a month later for being too vague and the timing of implementation being too short.

Once the decreegoes into effect, France will become the first EU country to impose such restrictions.

“This new draft decree reflects our desire to put an end to misleading claims... by using names relating to meat products for foodstuffs that do not contain them,” French agriculture minister Marc Fesneau said.

To come into force in three months

In recent years, France has seen a sharp uptick in the consumption and demand for environmentally friendly and healthy diets.

The need to impose such restrictions arose after the food industry in the country started using references of meat products to plant-based products, inviting the ire of livestock farmers and meat processors.

The rule is expected to come into force three months after publication to give operators time to adapt their labelling.

The buffer time given by the government would also allow the manufacturers to sell their stocks labelled as meat before the decree comes into force.

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