For several months, the meat industry and plant-based products manufacturers have been fighting a real battle. Last April, for example, an amendment prevented the latter from using names specific to the meat industry such as « steak » or « sausage ».
French people are increasingly turning away from meat products, particularly red meat. This is due to consumer concerns about health, animal welfare, the impact of livestock on the environment and the overall change in lifestyles. Professionals in the sector therefore wish to combat this trend, which may in the long term prevent them from working.
Even if the plant-based market is booming and seems to seduce more and more households, meat products do not remain in the shadows and meat innovations are also developing. The French beef sector intends to improve its image and attract consumers once again by offering new products and implementing a concrete action plan for animal welfare.
This year, the International Food Exhibition (SIAL), which took place from October 21 to 25, 2018, allowed the meat industry to promote french beef, grass and extensive livestock farming. Meat proteins have also been the source of many innovations. We discovered during the show:
- Chips made from 182g of meat for 100g of finished product. A product rich in protein (37g/100g) that can be kept for two months.
- A sports snack based on chicken breasts. This product is high in protein, low in fat and carbohydrates. It is free of preservatives and chemical additives
- A kit to make your own foie gras made by Labeyrie. The box contains a lobe of pre-cooked foie gras, ties, a cloth and a bottle of Armagnac.
- A 1 kg beef and veal steak for burger to share.
Environmental concerns and animal welfare were also at the heart of the discussions during the exhibition. Food manufacturers are making a transition to meet society’s expectations for greater transparency and traceability. The whole sector (farmers, processors and distributors) wants to restore the taste of good meat and be able to make a decent living from its profession. Interbev, the meat industry association, wishes to highlight the know-how of farmers to face the French people’s disaffection with meat.
Last October, agri-food giants joined the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW). Nestlé, Unilever, Compass, Elior, Sodexo, Aramark and IKEA Food Services work with research experts around 5 priority areas:
- Off-cage farming
- Improving the welfare of broilers
- The welfare of farmed fish
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Transport and slaughter standards
From 2019 onwards, action plans will aim to develop knowledge and implement strictly controlled practices. Nestlé, for example, has stated its commitment to improving animal welfare by only sourcing eggs from off-cage farms by 2025: initiatives that are welcomed by animal welfare associations.
On November 4, Hugo Desnoyer, the « celebrity butcher » announced in the program Zone Interdite on M6 that it was necessary to « eat less meat but of better quality ». The world of butchery revolts against the sometimes violent actions of certain vegan movements. The meat sector is struggling against certain excesses of the industry that it does not support. A collective awareness is necessary. If we want to continue to consume meat, this consumption must be rational and animal welfare must be respected.
