The Herta brand defended this Wednesday the filling processes of its bacon bit trays, after the associations Foodwatch and Zero Waste France were denounced against five brands accused of selling “empty” products.
On Tuesday, the two associations announced that they had given formal notice to five major brands (Carambar, Herta, Côte d’Or, Daco Bello, Rana) to change the packaging of the products they sell, considered oversized in relation to the content, threatening with taking legal action if there is no response.
Its action is based on environmental and consumer codes: the first prescribes in an article that “packaging must be designed and manufactured in such a way that its volume and mass are limited to the minimum necessary to guarantee a sufficient level of safety, hygiene and acceptability”. “; the second gives the definition of deceptive commercial practice. According to calculations by Foodwatch and Zero Waste, a tray of bacon bits from Herta’s nitrite-free range contains 54% void.
“Perfectly visible fill level”
In its press release this Wednesday, Herta “wants to recall that plastic trays guarantee the integrity and food safety of fresh products” and that “according to current regulations, the weight of the matches is indicated on the front of the container”. The brand adds that, as the tray is transparent, “its fill level is therefore perfectly visible to the consumer at the time of purchase.”
Regarding the packaging of this product, Herta affirms that the phase of cutting the pork meat “must be carried out at a negative temperature” to facilitate slicing. “Still rigid” matches are placed “randomly” on their tray, “this has the effect of taking up the entire volume of the packaging.” “During the following stages, the matches, kept at a temperature between 0 and 4°C, recover some flexibility and thus produce a free space, not available during the filling phase”, describes Herta.
“The next step, aimed at sealing the lid on the tray, implies that the matches do not spill over the edges and cannot compromise the perfect sealing of the package. This is to ensure product preservation and avoid unacceptable waste.” says the brand.
Source: BFM TV
