28 Feb 2024
France issues new ban on meat names for plant protein
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PARIS, Feb 27 (Reuters) – France on Tuesday issued a ban on using terms like steak and ham for plant protein products, a second attempt by the government to regulate meat alternatives as it tries to assuage livestock producers who have been at the heart of farmer protests.
A growing market for plant-based protein products has riled a French livestock sector facing a steady loss of cattle farms and stiff competition from cheaper imported meat.
France became the first country in the European Union curb use of traditional meat names for plant protein in mid-2022, but the measure was blocked by an administrative court as being too vague and not giving companies enough time to adapt.
The government published a new decree, opens new tab on Tuesday, applicable in three months, that bans the use of 21 meat names to describe protein-based products and limits the amount of plant content in products that use certain other terms like bacon and chorizo.