Plant-based 'meats' must find new names in France

France is set to become the first country in the EU to ban the use of words such as 'sausage' and 'steak' from being applied to plant-based meat alternatives, according to an official decree published last week. First agreed to in 2020, the ban will go into effect in October.

"It will not be possible to use sector-specific terminology traditionally associated with meat and fish to designate products that do not belong to the animal world and which, in essence, are not comparable," the decree says.

Read more: Cellular engineered fish is coming to a plate near you soon

The regulation only applies to French-made products, leaving the door open for imports, leading the country's biggest farm lobby, FNSEA, to argue that it does not go far enough.

The FNSEA said that similar measures must be enacted at an EU-wide level - something the bloc rejected in 2020.

Certain terms, such as 'cheese', 'milk', and 'butter' are already protected on a European level meaning that they cannot be applied to plant-based products. As things stand, however, words like 'burger' and 'bacon' can be used for meat alternatives. 

France has a famously strong culinary tradition and many people in the country have been somewhat more reluctant to adopt new eating habits than in comparable countries such as Germany and the UK.

The past few years have seen a spate of attacks on butcher shops around the country, something the industry has blamed on increased media attention on the meat industry. Usually, these attacks have taken the form of vandalism and destruction of property, such as covering shop fronts with fake blood, red paint or smashing windows.

Read more: The rise of synthetic meats: are they the future?

Nonetheless, in recent years, the global market for vegan and vegetarian meat-like alternatives has seen a surge, with more people expressing concern about animal welfare, climate change and nutrition through their choices as consumers.

This market surge has, in turn, attracted big investment from global agri-food businesses, looking to capitalise on the trend towards meat-free healthy eating.

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