Maximien Carlier (correspondent in Hauts-de-France) 9:16 a.m., February 22, 2024
While the anger of farmers continues to rumble, the executive is on alert and wishes to present by the summer a new text of law to "strengthen the Egalim system" which should allow better remuneration for farmers within the framework negotiations between distributors and agro-industrial suppliers.
In the meantime, the crackdown on fraud is increasing checks in supermarkets in order to verify the name and origin of the products.
The agri-food industries are in the sights of farmers but also of the government.
Two European mass distribution purchasing centers, their names have not been given, are targeted by pre-fines.
They are estimated at several tens of millions of euros.
Bercy has noted more than 350 cases of labeling fraud on the shelves.
Europe 1 accompanied fraud prevention inspectors near Arras, in Pas-de-Calais, for an inspection within a hypermarket.
The Frenchification of certain products
In this hypermarket, near Arras in the fruit and vegetable section, three agents from the Departmental Directorate for Population Protection (DDPP) take notes in their notebooks and carefully observe the labels displayed.
"For endives, we check the indication of origin, the indication of the category. There, it says 'endives sachets, origin France'. We check the correspondence with what is indicated on the sachets. Here , there are no anomalies", declares one of the DDPP agents.
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The check continues.
Delivery note, invoice... everything is scrutinized.
This can go back to the supplier because the risk is the “francization” of certain products.
“It will be clementines which are from Spain advertised as French or Italian kiwis which have been Frenchified, sold as French”, Michael Delhaie, head of department at the DDPP.
20 checks since the start of the year
Bad labeling is recurrent: 60% of anomalies are observed in the fruit and vegetable section.
Valentina, a customer, is rather satisfied with these checks: "we should do this regularly in all stores. It's very good. It's reassuring and then we can make French agriculture work."
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Since the start of the year, in Pas-de-Calais, 20 grocery stores, markets and supermarkets have been inspected, according to the prefect.
Race results: seven warnings and a report with criminal proceedings.