Overview
- A commitment announced Tuesday at the FICT assises in Paris requires a 5% reduction in salt on five products and a 5% cut in saturated fats across twelve product families to be rolled out within five years.
- The measures will cover roughly 60% of charcuterie volumes sold in France and apply to items such as chorizo, rillettes, various hams, bacon and lardons.
- Producers did not pledge new reductions in nitrites, with the health agency Anses warning that lowering additives like salt or nitrites can raise microbiological risks during curing and storage.
- Sales have begun to rebound after years of decline, with market data showing a year-on-year rise and companies such as Aoste announcing investments, including a reported €10 million project to expand capacity by about 15%.
- The move responds to long-running health pressure dating to the WHO’s 2015 classification and Anses’ 2022 opinion while leaving open the need for compensatory safety measures at farm and production stages.