The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa has lodged an urgent application in the Johannesburg High Court to stop the Department of Land Reform, Agriculture and Rural Development’s Food Safety Authority from seizing meat substitute products from Monday, 22 August.
On 22 June, the department instructed the FSA to seize and remove any plant-based products using names that traditionally refer to animal-based products in terms of section 8 of the Agricultural Product Standards Act 199 of 1990. “In terms of section 6 of the APS Act, it is an offence to use product names that are prescribed or reserved for processed meat in the sale of meat analogues.”
“There are names that actually can be used and those names are exclusively prescribed for processed meat products.” The sector believes the department’s interpretation is not only flawed, but says any seizures will cause significant losses, cripple businesses and deprive consumers of choice.Now, the threat to seize products has escalated the standoff, with producers, distributors and industry bodies threatening legal action.
Prices have come down – possibly uncomfortably close to the price of beef and other meats – and Taylor says his small business is suffering due to the uncertainty. Pioneer of the plant-based category in South Africa, Fry Family Food, through the LIVEKINDLY Collective, issued a statement, saying its products are not currently at risk.
“The legislative gap in the regulation of meat analogue produce means that the analogue [sector] is operating in an environment that is not regulated, and has in the process grown a significant customer base for these products.
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