Chile approves bill to use the term "meat"

The deputies as a whole and without discussion approved the bill regulating the categorization of the concept of "meat". The initiative sought to prohibit the classification under this name of a non-animal food product.

The regulation establishes that the term "meat" is defined as the edible part of the muscles of food animals such as cattle , sheep, pigs, horses, goats, camels and other species suitable for human consumption.

In its work, the Committee on Agriculture approved a guideline that also restricts the use of other food concepts. Thus, the words "hamburgers", "chorizo", "sausages", "smoked meat", among others, cannot be used to refer to products in which the proportion of plant products is higher than the proportion of meat.

The ordinance also states that game meat, when handled, processed, packaged, stored, distributed and sold, must comply with the provisions of the Food Sanitary Regulations. Similarly, they must comply with the technical standard approved by the order of the Ministry of Health, which will be published in the Official Gazette.

The proposal was supported by 84 votes to 41, with 8 abstentions in the general vote. However, the bill will have to go back to the relevant committee as it is subject to amendments. The purpose of this is to lift the restriction set in legislative debate to also allow the commercialization of plant-based products.