- Plant-based foods labelled as “vegan biltong” and “vegetarian sausages” had been due to disappear from South African shelves on Monday.
- But a court interdict granted on Friday should prevent that.
- An order issued by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development outlawed plant-based foods or meat analogues that use product names reserved for processed meat products.
- South Africa’s Food Safety Agency recently reaffirmed its commitment to seize any plant-based foods with ‘meaty’ names, starting on Monday, from shelves across the country.
- But consumer-goods organisations won an interdict against the implementation.
- For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
Familiar plant-based foods like vegan biltong and vegetarian sausages had been due to disappear from shelves from Monday – if not voluntarily, then through seizure by agents of South Africa’s Food Safety Agency.
But on Friday, “mince” that contains no part of any animal and “patties” with no meat received a reprieve, as manufacturers and retailers fought back.
This week the South African government said it would push ahead with its controversial war on plant-based foods that use product names associated with processed meats. The order, issued by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) was due to see “vegan biltong”, “plant-based meatballs”, and “chorizo and red pepper vegetarian sausages”, among others, removed from shelves.
The DALRRD, in late June, reaffirmed that “meat analogues must not use the product names prescribed and reserved for processed meat products”, adding that these plant-based products were in violation of regulations promulgated in 2019.
The department also warned producers that the Food Safety Agency was empowered to seize any and all plant-based products with meaty names from shelves. The only way to avoid a government-led seizure of goods would be for products to be relabelled or recalled by the producers or retailers themselves.
See also | Nando’s just launched fake meat – and it isn’t embarrassed about it
The Food Safety Agency, in a notice issued on Tuesday, confirmed that it would “seize any meat analogue products presented for sale in the Republic of South Africa which are using the product names prescribed for processed meat products in terms of section 8 of the Agricultural Product Standards Act 119 of 1990 (the Act) at all points of sale, i.e., facilities, premises (retail and wholesale), conveyances, etc.”
These products will be seized, said the Agency, from Monday 22 August.
But on Friday, the Consumer Goods Council of SA (CGCSA) obtained a temporary interdict against seizures, BusinessLive first reported.
The council represents thousands of businesses, and its services include advice on how to comply with product labelling requirements.
The interdict halts the forceable removal of products from shelves at least until a court can decide on the merits of arguments from producers and retailers that the government’s stance is illogical, and harmful to consumers.
The South African Vegan Society (SAVS) said government’s ban “will have catastrophic consequences on many stakeholders, namely, producers of plant-based food products, retailers, and consumers.” The SAVS initially said that it was “considering the legal remedies” to combat the ban but didn’t respond to Business Insider SA’s queries regarding any further developments amid the impending action by the Food Safety Agency.
ProVeg International, a food awareness organisation with the mission to reduce the global consumption of animals by 50% by 2040, also expressed outrage.
“This is a huge step backwards in the government’s fight against climate change,” said Donovan Will, country director at ProVeg South Africa, in response to the notice issued by the DALRRD in June.
“Regulation such as this is exactly what we don’t need when the world’s scientists are telling us we urgently need to reduce our meat consumption to help brake dangerous global warming. The regulation also disrespects consumers. There is no evidence to show that people are confused by meaty names for plant-based foods.”
Fake meat gets a reprieve, after govt threat to remove it from shelves on Monday & Latest News Update
Fake meat gets a reprieve, after govt threat to remove it from shelves on Monday & More Live News
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