{"id":13973,"date":"2020-10-09T08:22:19","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T06:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/?p=13973"},"modified":"2020-10-09T08:22:19","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T06:22:19","slug":"fake-meat-this-is-not-a-steak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/en\/fake-meat-this-is-not-a-steak\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake meat? “This is not a steak”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With the slogan “Ceci n’est pas un steak” European organisations representing meat supply chains are opposed to the proposal to use definitions that recall meat in overprocessed plant-based products.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Take for example the sausage<\/strong>: insicia<\/em>, as called by the Latins, crossing of insicium, insicia<\/em>, “minced meat”, with salsicius<\/em>, “salty”. The coexistence of the two ingredients salt<\/strong> and meat<\/strong> is evident in its name. The first one, incomparable in the preservation of food<\/strong>, so valuable in the past centuries that it was used as a currency, a bargaining chip. The second one, the noble food par excellence. Today when you say sausage<\/strong> you know what you’re talking about, what you’re going to put on your plate. Same thing for burgers<\/strong>, which despite having less history it declares itself for what it is: minced meat<\/strong>. And other examples could be made, all containing meat<\/strong> as the main ingredient.<\/p>\n

But now for everyone, there is less certainty, and the risk of confusion <\/strong>increases. It happens when we talk about vegan sausage<\/strong>, vegan burgers<\/strong>, “vegetable” meat,<\/strong> and so on. Contradictions in terms<\/strong> that, however, have appeal to the marketing<\/strong>, that effortlessly recalls meat by evoking flavours<\/strong>, aromas, and nutrients<\/strong> that do not belong to plant preparations, which at most can attempt an imitation<\/strong>, never entirely successful.<\/p>\n

\"\"Not to mention the nutrient inputs<\/strong>, very different despite the effort to put together proteins, vitamins, minerals,<\/strong> and much more. A set of ultra-processed raw materials<\/strong> in an attempt to look at what they are not. A little more imagination in finding a name for these products would not hurt, without borrowing definitions that recall meat. A name that should also be unpleasant to people who have banned animal products<\/strong> from their tables.<\/p>\n

\"\"The European Parliament<\/strong>, on the other hand, is once again supporting the designations of plant-based products evoking meat<\/strong>. MEP Eric Andrieu<\/a> would like to entrust the European Commission with the task of setting boundaries on the use of definitions of plant-based products. By proposing that names such as steak<\/strong> or burgers<\/strong> can be freely used, as according to the french MEP those names cannot be reserved only for meat. Then no naming constraint for products such as soy<\/strong> or corn steak<\/strong>, vegetable sausages<\/strong>, or vegan burgers<\/strong>. The only condition is claiming the absence of meat. That sounds in these cases as a plus, rather than a limitation.<\/p>\n

A position that can be nutritionally criticized and fearsome for the possible economic and social consequences<\/strong>. There is the risk of confusing the consumers<\/strong>, directing their choices, and conditioning their purchases. Plus the risk that millennial stories<\/strong> like that of sausage are going to be lost. Farmers<\/strong> and the whole meat world want to avoid this risk. And here comes the campaign “Ceci n’est pas un steak<\/em><\/strong>“, a slogan that could be translated to “this is not a steak<\/strong>“, launched by a group of European organizations representing the livestock world. These include Copa-Cogeca<\/a> (representing European farmers), CLITRAVI<\/a> (representing European sausage producers), EFFAB<\/a> (animal breeding and reproduction), AVEC<\/a> (European poultry farmers), IBC<\/a> (fresh and processed meats), and UECBV<\/a> (European animal and meat traders).\"\"<\/p>\n

Through this initiative, the president of the beef group<\/strong> in Copa-Cogeca, Jean-Pierre Fleury<\/strong> said that it is not intended to oppose the development of new food, but only to respect the work of millions of European farmers<\/a><\/strong>. “I’m not afraid,” Fleury said, “to say that this is an obvious case of cultural hijacking<\/strong>. It promotes the idea \u2013 he continued \u2013 that the replacement of one product with another has no impact<\/strong> on the nutritional intake.”<\/p>\n

\"\"The manifesto of the information campaign<\/strong> launched by European organisations reminds that farmers<\/strong> are engaged in the production of plant and animal proteins and they do not intend to stand in opposition to nutritional choices<\/strong> that exclude meat. But they ask loudly that the paradox<\/strong> of promoting vegan products<\/strong> by referring to meat is resolved. If a product has the market preferences and meets consumer expectations it does not need to present itself as a trivial imitation<\/strong>. And everyone knows that meat is at the centre of false information<\/strong> aimed at blaming its consumption. It is clear that behind all this can be a skillful lobbying work<\/strong>, motivated by strong interests in the field.<\/p>\n

The European Parliament<\/strong>‘s decision, which is called to vote on Eric Andrieu<\/strong>‘s proposal, is now expected. In view of that moment, initiatives under the french slogan “ceci n’est pas un steak<\/strong>” will be multiplied with the aim to raise public awareness of the importance of meat denominations<\/strong>. With the aim of calling meat what is meat<\/strong>, to avoid the risk of buying in the future a burger that is not really one. Just correctness. N’est ce pas?<\/p>\n

Click once on the images below to open them and then again to enlarge them. You can then read the long list of ingredients that make up the hyper-processed products passed off for healthier and more sustainable than meats and cold cuts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t\t