There would be “unintended consequences” for the meat sector if the UK followed France by banning meat terms for plant-based products, industry experts warn.
France’s National Assembly voted to ban meat alternative brands from using terms such as ‘steak’, ‘filet’, ‘sausage’ and ‘bacon’ on 19 April amid claims they misled consumers. Suppliers could be hit with fines of up to €300,000 for failing to comply.
It follows a similar ruling by the ECJ last June over the use of words such as ‘milk’ by dairy alternative brands, and means suppliers could be hit with fines of up to €300,000 for failing to comply.
However, implementing a similar ban in the UK could be beset with obstacles, according to meat sector bodies.
While supporting any move to stop misleading labelling “both on meat and meat substitute products”, similar UK legislation could be “fraught by unforeseen issues” and might hinder the use of new names for meat cuts such as flat iron and ranch steak, warned British Meat Processors Association CEO Nick Allen.
Labelling rules were already so complex, that further tiers of “dos and don’ts” were “likely to confuse things even more” added Association of Independent Meat Suppliers policy director Norman Bagley. “What would you describe a vegetarian haggis as under this rule?”
National Pig Association CEO Zoe Davies described the ban as a “fantastic idea”, adding meat alternatives should devise “new terminology to promote their products”, but cautioned that the biggest challenge would be in attracting support “from our own government”.
But there could be support for such a move from the meat alternative sector itself. While Quorn declined to comment on the ban, despite selling its meat-free products in France using meat appelations, the founder of burger brand Moving Mountains, called it a “positive move”.
Simeon Van der Molen said: “Now is the time for the plant-based industry to step out from the shadows of the animal meat industry’s terminology to describe horrific practises of torture, and get creative.”
Environment secretary Michael Gove had been “clear” he believed consumers deserved better information about where their food came from and how food was produced, said a spokeswoman for Defra, who added the department was in the process of developing a range of proposals for labelling reform after Brexit.
When meat alternative products were sold, “there should be no doubt as to their meat-free composition”, she added. However, she stressed the French ban was currently just a “proposal” which “may or may not” form part of a French Agriculture Bill.
“France will need to notify the European Commission and other member states as this is a technical standard. Without notifying, it would become unenforceable,” she added.
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