2y ago

No more cordon blur: France prepares to ban vegetarian products from using meaty language

www.theguardian.com

Archived version: https://archive.ph/ywMmQ
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20230905102758/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/05/france-prepares-to-ban-vegetarian-products-from-using-meaty-language

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2y ago

No more cordon blur: France tries again to ban meaty language on vegetarian products

www.theguardian.com /world/2023/sep/05/france-prepares-to-ban-vegetarian-products-from-using-meaty-language

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2y ago

France prepares to ban vegetarian products from using meaty language

www.theguardian.com /world/2023/sep/05/france-prepares-to-ban-vegetarian-products-from-using-meaty-language

46 comments

Good luck with that. Grill is a type of cooking not a specific cutt of meat.
Will they ban grilled cheese?
- Of course, that's not these English words that will be banned, since it's in France. The French word is "grillade". This word is used to define any meaty product that you'll cook on a barbecue. Sausages, skewers, etc.
  
  le grille? what the hell is that?
- The fact that cheese is mainly a product derivative of milk probably protects its name if it was the case.
  
  I don't think that is relevant in this case - the article is about Vegetarian food, not Vegan. Vegans are the ones against dairy.
- Nope, that ain't vegan so no ban
- Sounds like they've already banned referring to grilled zucchini as such.
- If you ordered grilled cheese in English and your waiter was also a fucking jaw dragging troglodyte they'd bring out a plate of melted cheese as well.
  Everyone else will assume you abbreviated a grilled cheese sandwich
  
  You can grill grilled cheese.
  
  Fine, but in this case we're talking about France.
  
  Which country?
I've read the claim that these terms "confuse customers", but has that really happened more than a small handful of times? Do people really buy the clearly named "vegan burger", go home and only then realize that it was not what they wanted? It seems absurd to think that customers are making these mistakes. I don't even recall ever having seen one of those products not making it clear that they are vegetarian or vegan, that's always their selling point.
Plus, it is highly convenient to name these products after what they are meant to replace and which form they share.
This seems like a pointless attack against vegetarian/vegan alternatives, which is unfortunate given that we'd probably want more people to eat (or at least consider eating) those rather than less.
- This IS because buyers get confused. I am French. I get confused.
  There are products that copy burgers to meet the demand of users willing to eat less meat. You can clearly see what it is and there is no issue with these products.
  But there are also products faking meaty products, with vegetables because it’s cheaper. Let’s take this one for example : https://www.auchan.fr/charal-happy-family-viande-hachee-a-cuisiner/pr-C1159092 It’s not written “viande hachée [de boeuf]” (beef meat) on the package, because there is 20% of water and vegetables to be cheaper. However, everything is made to make you think it’s just beef. There is nothing really visible selling it as an alternative to eat less meat. There are just very small lines on the bottom of the package. The title of the online shop is wrong, selling it as “viande hachée” (ground meat). It’s clearly misleading.
  There are tons of such examples and that’s why there is this new law in France.
  
  Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this 80% meat and 20% vegetables and thus not vegetarian? If so, this isn't the same kind of product as an actual vegetarian/vegan patty that is made from vegetable protein only.
  I agree with you that the product you linked is labelled confusingly. But it won't ever be called "vegetarian patty" but rather "meat reduced patty".
  Edit: You get confused not by vegan burgers (no meat contained) but by non-vegan burgers (less meat contained) and thus by the meat industry, right?
- Some people order turds and put them in their mouth. All of them are dumb, but some of them are so dumb that they didn't even realize they ordered the turd burger.
I'd love to see more plant based products that are just their own thing. Why be a mediocre immitation of meat, if you can be your own awsome product. For example: falafel is awsome in it's own right.
- Because some vegetarians/vegans still want meat tasting products, but don't want to harm animals.
  
  I'm sure some people would also love some lettuce tasting beef, but that's not happening either
  
  Hmm why not make better plant-tasting food? If i didn't eat meat for ethical reasons, I wouldn't want to keep reminding myself of the taste...
I personally don't think this is because buyers get confused. By simply not stating a meat product is plant-based I am very sure anyone can assume it's animal meat.
I believe this is more to make the distinctions more clear, but instead meant to not risk lowering the purchase of already established products from curious customers seeing familiar food names in different situations or made in different ways.
- This IS because buyers get confused. I am French. I get confused.
  There are products that copy burgers to meet the demand of users willing to eat less meat. You can clearly see what it is and there is no issue with these products.
  But there are also products faking meaty products, with vegetables because it’s cheaper. Let’s take this one for example : https://www.auchan.fr/charal-happy-family-viande-hachee-a-cuisiner/pr-C1159092 It’s not written “viande hachée [de boeuf]” (beef meat) on the package, because there is 20% of water and vegetables to be cheaper. However, everything is made to make you think it’s just beef. There is nothing really visible selling it as an alternative to eat less meat. There are just very small lines on the bottom of package. The title of the online shop is wrong, selling it as “viande hachée” (ground meat). It’s clearly misleading.
  There are tons of such examples and that’s why there is this new law in France.
  
  Oh, understood. I thought packaging it was much more evident on their own, instead it's actually hiding.
- I really don’t get it. If meat is so bad, why would vegetarians want stuff that looked and tried to taste like meat?
  Humans evolved to eat meat, but eating meat daily at the scale of 8 billion humans is destroying ecosystems and one of the worst contributors to carbon emissions.
  Humans evolved to be smart, and have created more sustainable alternatives. This isn't a black or white issue, you can use meat alternatives just sometimes, rather than all the time, and still make a difference
  Side note, I love meat, and I highly recommend you try an Impossible burger. Cook it on a cast iron skillet exactly as the directions say, and I think you'll be surprised how much better it is than other options
  
  Meat tastes great but the way we get it is pretty fucked up and can't be ethically justified. So of course vegetarians and vegans want to eat something that tastes like meat but doesn't come from animals. I'm always surprised that so many meat eaters assume that most vegetarians and vegans don't like the taste of meat.
  
  I don't really like vegetables so I eat a lot of meat. I don't particularly like meat harvesting practices, though. I'm really interested in substitutes and lab grown.
We have to protect our unsustainable culture from appropriation. This is the most pressing issue.
- The farming lobby is strong in France.
cordon blur
:chef's kiss:
Give that headline writer a raise.
And the meat / farmers lobby wins again

46 comments