France’s agriculture ministry is planning to ban the use of 21 meat terms, including “steak,” “ham,” and “fillet,” from labels on plant-based food products. If approved, France will have some of the world’s strictest laws regarding the use of meat terms on vegan food labels. The ban aims to address concerns about misleading labels and consumer trust, according to France’s agriculture minister, Marc Fesneau.
Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO of ProVeg International, disagrees with the French government’s reasoning, stating that consumers are not confused and know what they are looking for in terms of animal-free food. The proposed code, which still requires approval by the European Commission, will prohibit the use of words associated with specific animal parts to market or describe processed plant protein products. A separate list of 120 terms, including “bacon” and “sausage,” will be allowed under certain conditions. If the decree passes, food makers will have three months to comply.
France’s proposed ban on meat terms for labeling plant-based foods renews a battle between farmers and the vegan food industry over labels. Last year, France’s top court stopped the ministry’s previous attempt to impose similar regulations, citing imprecise language. Similar laws have been passed in some U.S. states and South Africa, while Turkey has even banned the sale of vegan cheese entirely.
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