AEMB
| Enough with surrealistic meat and dairy denominations! European livestock organisations are launching a campaign against the misuse of meat denominations |
6 October 2020
Enough with surrealistic meat and dairy denominations!
European livestock organisations are launching a campaign against the misuse of meat denominations
The debate on meat and dairy denominations for plant based imitations is far more complex than it seems at first glance. If the European Parliament decides in the coming month to condone food denomina tion loopholes to protect “vegan sausages” or “ vegan burgers”, it will open a Pandora's box that will in the long run impact consumers and livestock farmers alike a fact that is not well understood in the European assembly. Faced with this situation, the European livestock sector is making a stand and launching the European campaign c eci n ’est p as un steak.
Today, a group of European livestock representative orga nisations are launching a new campaign and issuing a call for mobilization to the whole sector after the European Parliament again reached a stalemate on the CMO Regulation ’s provisions regarding meat denominations. MEPs have once again launched the discussion they already had last year, aiming to provide for the legal recognition of names such as “vegan burgers” and “vegan sausages” sausages”. MEP Eric Andrieu proposed leaving the critical issue of meat denominations in the hands of the Commission in the form of delegated acts, on the condition that it accepts the recognition of names such as "vegan burgers" and “vegan sausages”. Passing the buck to the Commission like this is unacceptable for farmers and at odds with the initial proposal voted upon last year !
The group calls on the Members of the European Parliament to carefully consider the impact and consequences of generalizing such terms , thus promoting misleading and unfair marketing.
Jean Pierre Fleury, chairman of the Copa and Cogeca w orking party on beef and veal commented the launch of the initiative saying the European livestock sector is not trying to fight this development , we simply call for the work of millions of European farmers and livestock sector workers to be acknowledged and respected . I am not afraid to say that this is an obvious case of cultural hijacking Certain marketing agencies are using this to deliberately confuse consumers by promoting the view that substituting one product for a nother has no impact on the nutritional intake. This path is paved with good intentions, but it will open the door for other confusing denominations to emerge in the long term. We are about to create a brave n ew w orld where marketing is disconnected from the real natur e of products , which is just asking for things to spin out of control!
The ceci n'est pas un steak communication campaign raises fundamental questions about consumer information, our cultural heritage and the power of modern marketing, which blithely amalgamates big business interests and values.
In the campaign manifesto, the European organisations highlight the fact that when considering vegan products, one tends to forget that European farmers have an interest in producing both plan t and animal protein and are not opposed to the production of vegetable protein for vegan products. However, plant based imitations that tend to cop y meat and dairy products denominations and characteristics should develop their own approach . The plant ba sed sector needs to step up its creative effort. Instead of investing in lobbying, th e se companies should work on new marketing concepts, gain ing consumer’s recognition and resolv ing the plant based imitation industry’s fundamental paradox. An industry striving to become mainstream should not need to build its reputation by focusing their marketing efforts on existing products and on a fight against them!
The campaign will feature a series of initiatives aiming to raise awareness for the importance of the meat denomination debate which will be organised in the days leading up to the vote.
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END
For the video: Click HERE
For the press release in pdf: Click HERE
For more information on the campaign please take a look at the full campaign manifesto,
This campaign is supported by the following EU organisations:
CLITRAVI (Meat Processing Industry in the EU), EFFAB (The European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders), AVEC (Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU), Copa Cogeca (The united voice of European farmers and agri cooperatives), IBC (The International Butchers‘ Confederation), UECBV (European Livestock and Meat Trades Union)
European livestock organisations are launching a campaign against the misuse of meat denominations
The debate on meat and dairy denominations for plant based imitations is far more complex than it seems at first glance. If the European Parliament decides in the coming month to condone food denomina tion loopholes to protect “vegan sausages” or “ vegan burgers”, it will open a Pandora's box that will in the long run impact consumers and livestock farmers alike a fact that is not well understood in the European assembly. Faced with this situation, the European livestock sector is making a stand and launching the European campaign c eci n ’est p as un steak.
Today, a group of European livestock representative orga nisations are launching a new campaign and issuing a call for mobilization to the whole sector after the European Parliament again reached a stalemate on the CMO Regulation ’s provisions regarding meat denominations. MEPs have once again launched the discussion they already had last year, aiming to provide for the legal recognition of names such as “vegan burgers” and “vegan sausages” sausages”. MEP Eric Andrieu proposed leaving the critical issue of meat denominations in the hands of the Commission in the form of delegated acts, on the condition that it accepts the recognition of names such as "vegan burgers" and “vegan sausages”. Passing the buck to the Commission like this is unacceptable for farmers and at odds with the initial proposal voted upon last year !
The group calls on the Members of the European Parliament to carefully consider the impact and consequences of generalizing such terms , thus promoting misleading and unfair marketing.
Jean Pierre Fleury, chairman of the Copa and Cogeca w orking party on beef and veal commented the launch of the initiative saying the European livestock sector is not trying to fight this development , we simply call for the work of millions of European farmers and livestock sector workers to be acknowledged and respected . I am not afraid to say that this is an obvious case of cultural hijacking Certain marketing agencies are using this to deliberately confuse consumers by promoting the view that substituting one product for a nother has no impact on the nutritional intake. This path is paved with good intentions, but it will open the door for other confusing denominations to emerge in the long term. We are about to create a brave n ew w orld where marketing is disconnected from the real natur e of products , which is just asking for things to spin out of control!
The ceci n'est pas un steak communication campaign raises fundamental questions about consumer information, our cultural heritage and the power of modern marketing, which blithely amalgamates big business interests and values.
In the campaign manifesto, the European organisations highlight the fact that when considering vegan products, one tends to forget that European farmers have an interest in producing both plan t and animal protein and are not opposed to the production of vegetable protein for vegan products. However, plant based imitations that tend to cop y meat and dairy products denominations and characteristics should develop their own approach . The plant ba sed sector needs to step up its creative effort. Instead of investing in lobbying, th e se companies should work on new marketing concepts, gain ing consumer’s recognition and resolv ing the plant based imitation industry’s fundamental paradox. An industry striving to become mainstream should not need to build its reputation by focusing their marketing efforts on existing products and on a fight against them!
The campaign will feature a series of initiatives aiming to raise awareness for the importance of the meat denomination debate which will be organised in the days leading up to the vote.
-
END
For the video: Click HERE
For the press release in pdf: Click HERE
For more information on the campaign please take a look at the full campaign manifesto,
This campaign is supported by the following EU organisations:
CLITRAVI (Meat Processing Industry in the EU), EFFAB (The European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders), AVEC (Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade in the EU), Copa Cogeca (The united voice of European farmers and agri cooperatives), IBC (The International Butchers‘ Confederation), UECBV (European Livestock and Meat Trades Union)
