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Making the French Connection on Certification Standards
By Roselyne Gauthier and Marie-Cécile Damave
Concerns over food safety have led to a new consumer trend in France that could easily add profits to the balance sheets of U.S. exporters to this market.
Following the recent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) scare in Europe, French consumers demanded and have received a better certification process to ensure food safety, and to guarantee the origin or quality of a product.
The French government now
offers procedures for four certification labels. These
certificates have quickly gained the confidence of French
consumers, who think the extra francs for the stamp are good
value in exchange for an added margin of safety and quality in
food products.
Though the origin standards and certifications have not extended beyond French or European origin food products (except for Scottish salmon), market specialists believe that labels indicating where U.S. products came from may enhance the attractiveness of a product for the French consumer (for example, Washington cherries).
French supermarkets were initially reluctant to distribute these specially labeled products because of their higher retail prices. Not to worry. The labeled products sold like hotcakes, and astute store owners began using certification labeling under their private labels.
Also benefiting from the new labeling: small-scale farmers in less favored areas of France, such as mountain areas in the central Auvergne region producing Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or Appellation of Origin Certification (AOC), cheeses. These quality-origin labels enable producers in these areas to receive higher prices for their quality products.
Appellation of Origin Certification
First used in 1935 for
validating wine vintages, the AOC was later expanded to include
dairy products. Today, it confirms the pedigree of many other
agricultural and food products, such as farm-raised poultry and
olives.
While it does not guarantee quality, AOC does impart important knowledge to consumers--they can follow regions with good crop years, learn reputable producers and buy accordingly.
About 90,000 producers of wines and spirits and 460,000 hectares of vineyards produce AOC libations. Sales of AOC wine most fully validate the country’s support of the certification system, accounting for 41 percent of total French wine production, or $11 billion in sales, in 1997.
About 550 companies and 1,800 farmers produce AOC dairy products. In 1997, sales amounted to $1.8 billion.
Another 6,500 French farmers
and companies produced AOC products such as poultry, essential
oils, olives, nuts, grapes and lentils that totaled $133 million
in 1997.
Red and Regional Labels Ensure Quality
The Label Rouge (Red Label) is the national label regulated by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MINAG). It guarantees the top quality of a product, which meets strict controls imposed by certifying organizations at all stages of production, processing and trade.
Regional labels are governed by the same criteria as red labels, but for a specified region of France. An example: Emmental de Franche Comte is Emmental cheese produced in the Franche Comte region.
Organics Come of Age
First officially recognized in France in 1990, organic products are identified by the AB logo (meaning Agriculture Biologique). The logo verifies production by a chemical-free mode of agriculture that protects the environment.
French gourmet cooks may have been a little slow in responding to the appeal of organic products. But they’re making up for past lapses--organic sales increased from $500 million in 1996 to $2 billion in 1997.
The 137,000 hectares devoted to domestic organic farming in 1996 will undoubtedly be increasing dramatically, as will the demand for imported organic products.
Like many other countries, France continues to wrestle with the process of developing standards for its organic produce. While the rules are under development, the government is also considering setting up a National Institute for Organic Agriculture to monitor any new organic program.
Certification of Conformity
Used mainly for beef products, the most recent label available from the French government is the Certification of Conformity, adopted in 1990. It certifies that a product strictly follows established manufacturing rules, with unvarying ingredients and production procedures.
Beef sales governed by this label amounted to almost 137,000 metric tons in 1997, while high-quality ham sales reached almost 78,000 tons, representing 9 percent and 14 percent of total beef and ham consumption, respectively.
Mired in Labels?
Faced with a barrage of domestic and European Union (EU) labels, French consumers do not always know the significance of the different logos. The MINAG launched an advertising campaign in 1996, to be renewed soon, to help consumers recognize and understand the different manufacturing logos of France and the EU.
The EU added another layer of identification labeling in 1992, picking up on the trend toward certification of products among its members. Designed to define systems for producing a product and protecting cooking traditions, geographic denominations and special product identifications, the EU labels may guarantee the following:
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Roselyne Gauthier is an agricultural specialist and
Marie-Cécile Damave is an agricultural economist in the FAS
Office of Agricultural Affairs in Paris, France. Tel.:
(331)4312-2277; Fax: (331) 4312-2662; E-mail: FASParis@compuserve.com
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