France has published a decree banning “meaty” labels such as “steak” and “butcher” from being used for the marketing and labelling of plant-based products.
On Monday 26th February 2024, the decree was published, outlining a set of regulations for businesses to adhere to. The decree stated that those breaching the terms of the decree would be subject to a fine, with individuals facing fees of €1,500 as businesses would be fined €7,500.
Labels such as “steak”, “sirloin”, “fillet”, “escalope”, “ham”, and “butcher” are all included in the ban. The French Government said the rules would not apply to products manufactured or marketed elsewhere.
It was also highlighted that businesses would have three months to change plant-based labels after the implementation of the decree, and a year to sell any products featuring “meaty” labels.
This comes as Belgium chose to scrap its “meaty” vegan labelling ban in January 2024.
