To deal with the “supply tensions” of certain ingredients based on eggs or poultry, in the context of an avian flu epidemic, the State will authorize the agri-food industry to temporarily change the recipes of certain products without labels that it will not mention immediately, according to a statement released Monday.
“The bird flu epidemic, which has ravaged France since November 2021, affects the supply of the food industry for the production of certain foods made from eggs or egg products” (products obtained from an egg component), “or poultry ingredients. such as duck fat, explains the General Directorate of Competition, Consumption and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) in a press release.
When the mentions “non-GMO”, “from organic farming”, “raised without antibiotic treatment”, “raised in the open air” or “origin France” are not respected, the information must be “explicit” on the packaging by adding a label or hiding the mention in question, for example.
Duck replaced by chicken
On the other hand, when it is not possible to explicitly mention a product that benefits from an exception, a simple mention “DEROG” will be recorded.
For example, in a product such as duck rillette, the State authorizes the substitution of “part of the duck meat and/or fat” for “chicken meat and/or fat”, provided that the final product “contains a minimum of 40% duck meat and 20% duck fat”, details the DGCCRF.
The virus, which has led to the culling of more than 19 million poultry in recent months, has also affected former poultry sectors supplying chicks and ducklings, making it difficult to return to production.
Due to these tensions, “some manufacturers are forced to make composition changes in a period of time incompatible with the printing of new packaging”, for which the authorities have decided to “guarantee the continuity of the supply of the products in question” to grant “temporary exemptions from certain labeling obligations”.
If the professional wishes to modify his prescription, he must have it validated by Fraud Prevention, which will grant him an exemption for a maximum period of three months, provided that the modification does not endanger the safety of consumers and that the supply difficulties are ” proven and significant.
Source: BFM TV
