The executive “boots into touch” by speaking only of “voluntary commitments” and not of regulatory measures when he asks manufacturers to lower their doses of nitrites, castigates the NGO.
“It is a law that we want” to reduce the dose of nitrites in charcuterie, criticizes Tuesday March 28 on franceinfo Karine Jacquemart, general manager of Foodwatch France. “Public health must be protected by the state”she continues, denouncing the measures, or rather “non-measurements”, announced Monday by the government to lower the dose of nitrites in charcuterie. The Ministry of Agriculture has asked manufacturers to reduce their nitrite doses by 20% on average. But Foodwatch and the League against cancer are calling for the banning of these nitro additives, whose link with the development of cancers, in particular colorectal, has been confirmed in July 2022 by ANSES, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety.
>> Five questions on the link between nitrates and nitrites in charcuterie and the risk of cancer
Karine Jacquemart points the finger “two problems” in these ads. First, she deplores the fact that the government talks “uniquely” reductions and only mentions the idea of a deletion to speak “from a vague trajectory to five years without any concrete commitment”. The government proposes to launch a research and innovation plan within five years. “It’s not going to lead anywhere”, says the general manager of Foodwatch France. Second, she criticizes the government’s reliance on “voluntary commitments” manufacturers by including these reductions in a code of practice “which is not legal”. The executive, she said, “boot in touch”judging “unacceptable” the fact that he “refuses to take responsibility and regulate”.
“I can’t let go”
“We need rules, we need laws, to protect health, the rules of the game must be the same for everyone”, insists Karine Jacquemart. “Letting companies do it, that’s enough!”she says. “Otherwise, we take the risk of continuing to expose the population to health risks, we take the risk of new food scandals”, she warns. “I can’t let go”says Karine Jacquemart. “Scientific studies follow each other and each time confirm health risks”she continues.
“Anses’ opinion confirmed that there was a link between added nitrites in cold cuts and the risk of cancer. There was a parliamentary mission, a bill, what more do you need? ?”
Karine Jacquemart, General Manager of Foodwatch Franceat franceinfo
“We have a typical case of health risk and we have solutions since the food industry is already using alternatives and there is already ‘nitrite-free’ on the shelves”, summarizes Karine Jacquemart. The general manager of Foodwatch France recognizes that the subject is “complex” while recalling that his association “never asked for it to be done overnight”. We must, she says, “ensure that removing nitro additives does not create other health risks” and, to do this, “give time to the sectors and in particular to the craftsmen so that they can adapt” all in them “accompanying in this change”.
