FRANCE, April 24. 2018 ( The Independent): The measure was put forward by MP Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who based his argument on a judgment last year by the European Court of Justice that soya and tofu products could not be marketed as “milk” or “butter”. Mr Moreau, a farmer and member of President Macron’s En Marche! party tweeted: “It is important to fight against false claims: our products must be designated correctly: the terms #cheese or #steak will be reserved for products of animal origin!. Refusals to comply with the ban will lead to fines of up to US$365,000.”
In Britain, reaction was divided. Some consumers wondered whether the French meat industry was feeling threatened by the rise in popularity of vegan food; others doubted that consumers would ever be confused. One said: “This is ridiculous. I can tell you now no carnivore has ever bought veggie sausages or Quorn thinking they were buying meat.”
Wendy Higgins, of Humane Society International, said: “It’s a shame that instead of embracing vegan and vegetarian food, France has adopted a position of defensive paranoia. But ultimately it won’t stop the rise of compassionate eating because the delicious, nutritious, Earth-friendly and ethical benefits will prevail regardless of what you call the products.”