The French government has asked ham and deli meat producers to reduce their use of nitrites, without imposing an outright ban called for by anti-cancer advocates.
The government’s action plan aims for “immediate reductions of nitrite additives” in deli meats by about 20 percent, according to the Agriculture Ministry, which said benchmarks will be part of industry codes and will become the basis of state inspections of the 300 or so producers who make 1.2 million tones of products per year, according to industry group Inaporc.
Without providing details, the government said it will support the sector to modify its processes and recipes to respect the limits.
Cancer risk
Deli meat producers have used nitrite additives to preserve their products and stop the development of bacteria, notably botulism. Nitrites are what give ham its pink colour.
The French Agency for food, environmental and occupational health and safety (Anses) agreed in July 2022 with a World Health Organisation assessment that classified processed meat as carcinogenic, which lead the government to work on a plan to reduce nitrites.
The plan, which was delayed, intends to reduce by 25 percent the amount of nitrites used in the most consumed deli products, notably bacon bits (lardons), potted meat (rillettes) and dried sausage (sauscisson), and to cut nitrites in ham by at least 30 percent, within six to 12 months.
Nitrites in fresh sausages should be cut by 30 percent by April, and be reduced to zero within a year.
Not far enough
The Foodwatch consumer rights group and the French league against cancer, who have been campaigning for a complete ban on nitrite additives, denounced what they called the “timidity of the government”, which has decided to go with voluntary reductions.
The groups would like to see a ban of food additives E249, E250, E251 et E252 - potassium nitrite, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate.
The government, for its part, says it will put in place a research and innovation play as of this year to move towards “the elimination of nitrites in most products” within five years.
Producers say they are ready to put in place the reduction plan, but that banning nitrites is not a solution, as no alternatives exist to ensure that meat products are safe for consumption.
(with newswires)
