Anyone who has tried andouille de Guémené knows it is not easily forgotten. Served in a crêpe with sautéed onions, the traditional Breton smoked pork sausage has a devoted following. When I told my French editor I was writing about it, she immediately exclaimed: “L’andouille de Guémené? J’adore!”
But her enthusiasm faded when I explained that the speciality from western France was caught in a regulatory dispute that could threaten its very existence.
The problem lies in EU rules limiting levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), potentially carcinogenic compounds produced during smoking. Andouille de Guémené is traditionally smoked over beechwood, a process that leaves soot on its surface and increases its PAH content.
The sausage's distinctive flavour depends on this centuries-old method, leaving producers caught between preserving tradition and complying with food safety rules.
A sausage under threat
In the town of Guémené-sur-Scorff, Benoît Rivalan, owner of the century-old Maison de l’Andouille, fears French authorities could shut down his business over the EU's limit of 12 micrograms for certain PAHs.
"We are on their radar," he told Euronews, despite having introduced a special technique to reduce contamination.
“We employ a protective sleeve. It’s like a compression stocking: we put one over each andouille during the smoking process, and it captures 80% of the PAHs while preserving the flavor.”
But Rivalan warns that being forced to adopt further measures could undermine the traditional production method, which relies on smoking over a wood fire.
The story of Brussels bureaucrats threatening a beloved Breton speciality has gained traction in recent weeks among France's EU-sceptic far right.
But is Brussels really to blame? The reality is more complicated.
EU rules allow member states to request exemptions, something the French authorities have never done.
Paul Leguernic, a right-wing local councillor and knight of the Brotherhood of Guémené Andouille Tasters, is furious.
The gastronomic association, founded in 1994, campaigns to protect the traditional sausage from industrial imitations.
“Successive French governments have refused to apply for an exemption for French smoked products,” Leguernic told Euronews, adding that it was easy to blame Brussels when the real issue lies in how Paris has implemented the EU regulation.
For years, producers tested their sausages without the skin to demonstrate compliance with EU limits. But the French Agriculture Ministry subsequently required them to test the entire sausage, arguing that consumers also eat the skin.
The results were dramatic.
"We went from levels ranging between 6 and 8 micrograms to levels of between 120 and 150 micrograms of PAHs," Rivalan said.
Pressure mounts on Paris
Leguernic accused the French authorities of interpreting the European rules too strictly.
"The French authorities adopted an overly zealous interpretation of the European regulation, as the soot generated during the smoking process settles on the skin rather than penetrating the product itself."
He also criticised their refusal to accept a label advising consumers to limit their consumption of the skin.
Loïg Chesnais-Girard, the left-wing president of Brittany’s regional council, wrote to the French government on 28 September, urging it to submit a request for an exemption to Brussels. Last week, all the region’s political parties, except the Greens, adopted a resolution backing the calls made to Paris.
"Consumer food safety must remain an absolute priority, but regulations must also be able to take into account the specific characteristics of traditional production methods and the very limited health risks associated with consuming such a product," the resolution reads.
Several EU countries have already secured exemptions for traditional smoked meats, including Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Spain, Poland and Portugal. Finland and Sweden have also obtained derogations for products smoked over smouldering wood or other plant materials.
“It’s crystal clear: France has failed to do its job when it comes to smoked andouille,” Socialist senator Simon Uzenat told Euronews. “It has failed to make the voices of these regions heard.”
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed to Euronews that Paris had not yet requested such a derogation, unlike 10 other EU countries. “France can still request one.”
The derogations apply to smoked meats whose production methods cannot be modified without significantly altering the flavour of the products. “If maximum levels were applied, such traditionally smoked products would disappear from the market resulting in the closure of many small and medium size enterprises,” the EU regulation reads.
Rivalan has cut production by 30%, reducing his workforce in anticipation of a possible closure.
"If the authorities order us to shut down, we’d rather have to lay off 14 people than the 19 we used to employ."
For now, the future of andouille de Guémené remains uncertain. Whether the traditional sausage survives in its current form may depend less on Brussels than on the willingness of the French government to seek an exemption already available under EU law.