According to livestock professionals, “in France, one on two chicken is imported”. This proportion reaches “60%” in the restoration.
Le Monde with AFP
Know if his chicken white comes from Ukraine or France in his neighborhood bistro, it will soon be possible … As of 1 er March, the mention of the origin of the meat served (out of home) in France becomes mandatory. Twenty years after the labeling imposed on the beef in the restoration, corollary of the crisis of the mad cow, this obligation extends to the meat of poultry, sheep and pork, according to a decree See Thursday in the Official Journal
This labeling will have to mention the country of origin and that of livestock. It applies to “rebuilt meats raw by restaurateurs and not to the previously prepared or cooked meat”, depending on the decree. This obligation concerns all the restoration out of home, that is to say the school canteens, those of companies, hospitals or EHPAD, commercial restaurants.
50% of the poultry served in imported canteen
In visit to the National School of Meat Trades, in Paris, the Ministers Julien Denormandie (Agriculture and Food) and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (Tourism and SMEs) have also welcomed a major step forward for the traceability; A legitimate demand of citizens, likely to raise awareness of the quality of nutrition and strengthen short circuits.
“A Brazilian or Ukrainian chicken has nothing to do with a French chicken, which is valid for all livestock meats,” said Denormandie, recalling that currently “more than 50% of the Meat in canteens is imported poultry “. “We are pioneers,” Rencised Mr. Lemoyne, hoping to “pave the way for tomorrow Europe to be in unison with France”.
The obligation is for the moment applicable until 29 February 2024, during a phase of experimentation negotiated with the European Commission. The latter works on a revision of the regulation at European level, which does not systematically impose the reference of the origin of food, specifies the department.
Temporary obligation
The sectors rejoice in this decision. “We were waiting for this decree for two and a half years. Citizens wanted to know where the meat comes from to eat at the restaurant, and when it’s French, it reassures them”, reacted Anne Richard, director of Inaporc (the national swine interprofession). Even satisfaction of the interprofession of flesh poultry, Anvol, whose director, Yann Nédélec, greets “the result of a long combat of the sector”.
This will allow “to highlight French meat and to fight against imports,” says M me Richard, at a time when the pork sector goes through an acute crisis binding breeders to Selling at a loss due to rising production costs for one year.
Poultry, which has resisted better and took advantage of the holiday season, is also facing a very tough competition. “In France, a two-piece chicken is imported and, in the restoration, this amounts to 60%, and almost 80% by counting the processed products,” Nédélec recalled.
The Processed products soon concerned
Arguments heard by the Minister of Agriculture, which advocates France’s food sovereignty in a Europe that he wants to see protecting protective measures from a certain quality standard against products cheaper but less-coming from the nutritional point of view as environmental.
“In South American countries, they continue to use growth antibiotics, so nutritional intake is different and it directly concerns the consumer,” he explained. This “combat for quality” is at the same time “economic and gastronomic”, he points out.
And this is only a first step, ensures the government. “A next decree will concern processed products, such as the Nuggets,” Denormandie promised, without giving a date. And beyond the meat, said Mr. Lemoyne, the “dynamic will grow up with a similar decree within a few months that concerns the brewing of the beers”.