French government makes second attempt to ban ‘plant-based steak’ claim, September 1, LeMonde
The naming battle over plant-based steak and meatball alternatives has reignited. A year ago, the Conseil d’État (French Supreme Court) suspended the first decree published at the end of June 2022, which prohibited the use of butchery terms to describe plant-based products. The French government submitted a new text to the European Commission on August 23. In this draft decree, the government took into account the Conseil d’État’s comments that the first text was too vague. It includes a list of 21 terms “prohibited from being used to describe food products containing plant-based proteins.”
The Environmental Protection Agency deleted its tweet advising consumers to reduce red meat consumption following objections from the Irish Farmers Association. August 29, RTE Ireland
A tweet advocating for consumers to reduce their red meat consumption was deleted by the Environmental Protection Agency following objections from the Irish Farmers Association. The tweet, published on the EPA’s X account, encouraged consumers to “try vegetable recipes” and “gradually reduce your red meat consumption: vegetable lunches, Meatless Mondays, etc.” It also highlighted that 10% of purchased meat ends up in the trash. Following a complaint from the IFA, the EPA responded to the agricultural organization, stating that its intention was not to cause outrage but to share useful advice, while acknowledging that it may have been perceived differently.
German Lawmakers Propose Tax Reduction on Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, August 29, GreenQueen
German MPs Tim Klüssendorf (SPD) and Bruno Hönel (Green Party) proposed changes to the country’s tax laws to reduce taxes on plant-based milk alternatives in order to better reflect consumer needs. Currently, the tax on dairy products is 7%, while the tax on plant-based milk alternatives is 19%. The SPD and the Greens are pushing for a fair VAT rate in the annual tax law negotiations.
‘Beef tax’ – Denmark seeks ways to combat climate change, August 28, Euronews
Denmark’s beef consumption causes eight million tons of CO2 emissions per year, which accounts for 40% of the country’s emission reduction target. The government has not ruled out solving the problem through taxation. Danish Tax Minister Jeppe Bruus said: “We are looking at all possibilities. This means, in part, that we are in the process of restructuring our food industry and looking at how we can tax beef production, among other things. We are also looking at possible consumption taxes and whether they should be used.”
