Steques, boulaites or neugâtes. This is the humorous way of renaming steaks, meatballs or other nuggets that the company Accro has chosen to try to escape the new decree published at the end of February by the French government.
Manufacturer of vegetarian alternatives to meat, this company, based in Vitry-en-Artois, in Pas-de-Calais, jokes on social networks about the names which must be reserved for butchery and products of origin animal, from May 1, 2024.
“Legally, this could not pass”
“There is a desire to ridicule this decree by setting up this equally ridiculous campaign,” jokes the director of Accro, Renaud Saïsset. But we know very well that legally, this could not happen. » So behind the phonetic diversion of the vocabulary, the company initiated legal proceedings, a serious one, along with other French agri-food companies.
“We have filed a new urgent appeal before the Council of State,” announces Renaud Saïsset, who says he is “very surprised by the arrival of this new decree.” Indeed, a first decree, taken in July 2022 on the same subject, had already been urgently suspended by the courts pending a judgment on the merits.
Because the demands of those involved in the animal sector are not new. The latter believe that terms like “plant-based ham”, “vegan sausage” or “vegetarian bacon” can create some confusion among consumers.
Distortion of competition
A hypothesis that Renaud Saïsset refutes: “There is no desire to deceive the consumer, all the surveys prove it. It is clearly marked 100% plant-based on our products and they are sold outside the butcher’s aisles. »
But it is above all the distortion of competition that worries the business manager. “This decree only penalizes players who produce in France,” he explains. While our European competitors will be able to continue to use the terms sausage or steak. We know that culinary habits are very ingrained and that changing the name of a product can create confusion among consumers. »
Without forgetting the obligation to destroy all packaging purchased in advance for one year. “For a reference, it can represent tens of thousands of euros,” laments Renaud Saïsset. In a market that is still niche, despite strong expansion, will Accro’s wheat or pea steaks survive?