French butchers reject calls for ban on nitrates in food products With the French Assembly set to vote on 28 January on legislation aiming to ban the use of nitrates in food products, the Federation of Industrial Charcutiers (FICT) claims there are no health risks associated with the use of nitrites at the current recommended levels.
If passed, the bill (which then needs to go to the Senate), tabled by members of President Macron’s centrist bloc, would mean a ban on the addition of nitrites and nitrates in raw ham such as Bayonne and Parma ham from 2023 and a ban on other meat products including cooked ham, andouillette, boudin, terrine or rillettes, from 2025.