Steenhuisen introduces draft rules on naming meat alternatives in stores
New draft regulations will change how plant-based meat alternatives are allowed to be labelled in South Africa.
Picture: © rido/ 123rf.com
947’s Anele and The Club speak with Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen about new rules on naming meat alternatives.
Listen below:
Are the days of seeing ‘vegan boerewors’ or ‘chicken style’ plant-based nuggets in the supermarket behind us?
This seems to be the case with new draft regulations published by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen.
These new rules restrict how plant-based meat alternatives can be labelled in South Africa.
Under these rules, products like vegan sausages, mushroom biltong, or plant-based chicken nuggets cannot use traditional meat-related terms on their packaging.
However, terms like ‘soya sausage’ or ‘veggie burger’ are still allowed, as long as products are very clearly labelled as plant-based.
The regulations also require anything marketed as a meat alternative to have a minimum protein requirement of 9%.
“People need to know they are getting the nutritional value that they are looking for in a meat substitute.”
– John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture
Steenhuisen says this move will ensure consumers looking to buy meat are not duped into getting something else, and those wanting something plant-based have an easier time finding what they are looking for.
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