food and drink
French caviar producers call for clearer origin labels as Chinese imports grow
Producers in Aquitaine want clearer labelling and traceability as cheaper Chinese imports gain market share in France
French caviar producers are calling for clearer labelling and greater transparency as cheaper imported caviar, particularly from China, takes a growing share of the market.
“We’re not against competition. But consumers deserve to know exactly where their caviar comes from,” said Jean-Pascal Feray, director of Le Moulin de la Cassadotte in Gironde.
He says imported caviar is increasingly being used by restaurants because it can be cheaper than French-produced roe, but customers are not always told its country of origin.
“A great deal of caviar is imported from China,” he says. “It’s used by many chefs in Paris because it’s cheaper, but the origin isn’t always made clear to the customer.”
For Mr Feray, French caviar needs to be recognised in the same way as other products that are strongly linked to their region.
“People recognise Champagne or Roquefort because they immediately associate them with a place,” he says. “We want Caviar d’Aquitaine to have that same recognition.”
Le Moulin de la Cassadotte is one of the pioneers of French farmed caviar and produces IGP Caviar d’Aquitaine, a protected designation covering production in the region.
Mr Feray said the designation helps guarantee where the product comes from and allows each tin to be traced back through the production process.
“We spend a decade raising each fish,” he says. “Good caviar starts long before the eggs are harvested.”
Michel Berthommier, Managing Director of L’Esturgeonnière in Le Teich, Gironde, and vice-president of the Caviar d’Aquitaine association, also stresses the importance of traceability.
He says each box leaving his farm can be traced back to the female sturgeon that produced it.
Caviar exported abroad must also carry official CITES paperwork, which records details such as the species, quantity and legal source of the product. CITES is an international system designed to control trade in protected wildlife and products made from them.
Mr Berthommier points out that wild sturgeon fishing and the sale of wild-caught caviar are prohibited in Europe. He said some illegal smuggling may still occur elsewhere, but this should not be confused with counterfeit caviar.
“The issue isn’t whether Chinese caviar exists,” says Mr Feray. “The issue is making sure people know where their caviar comes from, how it is produced and what they’re paying for.”
