La dénomination “steak de soja” va faire son retour dans les rayons. Envato – Illustration
The two decrees prohibiting the use of butcher's, charcuterie and fishmonger's terms in products containing plant proteins were annulled by the Council of State on Tuesday, January 28. The names steak, ham and sausage are therefore once again authorized.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“France cannot prohibit the use of common names for foods of animal origin to market foods containing plant proteins”, the Council of State specified in a press release on Tuesday, January 28. The administrative judge had been contacted by companies and professional associations concerning the decrees of June 29, 2022 and February 26, 2024, which prohibited “the use of terms used to designate foods of animal origin to market products containing vegetable proteins.”
The Council of State agrees with the European Court of Justice
The Council of State has meanwhile suspended the decree in summary proceedings on 10 April on the grounds that “there is serious doubt about the legality of this ban”. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) then ruled on October 4, 2024 that France could not ban the terms “steak” vegetable or “sausage” vegetable.
And on Tuesday, January 28, the Council of State ruled in favor of the CJEU, which ruled “illegal, as contrary to European regulations the decrees of 2022 and 2024 which prohibited the use of common or descriptive names, made up of terms from the butchery, delicatessen and fishmonger sectors, to describe, market or promote foods containing proteins vegetables.”
The decree of February 26, 2024, published during the Salon de l'agriculture, was part of the sixty or so commitments made by the government, aimed at appeasing the anger of farmers.
Soy steak, vegetarian bacon and even vegetable sausage will thus make their return to the shelves of French supermarkets and hypermarkets. Which will not please farmers.