Monday 17 March, after two years of dialogue without outcome, Bloom and Foodwatch associations have decided to sue Carrefour in front of the judicial court of Paris. The distribution giant is accused of default in his duties in the sector of canned tuna, A market that hides many environmental and health risks.
The accusations of the NGOs
Bloom and Foodwatch sent two warning to Carrefour, the first in November 2023 and the second in April 2024, asking A change of course in the management of the tuna chain.
However, the company’s response was judged unsatisfactory and now in the report “Carrefour: Le Cynisme“,, Bloom denounces the strategies adopted by the brand To present themselves as responsible while its suppliers continue to operate without adequate environmental and social guarantees.
The associations underline that the company, and cannot guarantee that the production of canned tuna respects human rights.
The problems of tuna
Tuna, an apparently harmless food, is actually often contaminated by Mercury. According to Bloom and Foodwatch, Carrefour did not adopt the security threshold of 0.3 mg/kg recommended to protect consumersin particular pregnant women and children, categories more exposed to the risks of mercury.
In addition to health risk, Tuna fishing is one of the most dangerous in the world. According to NGOs, 42% of human rights violations at sea take place on board the tons, with forced work episodes, slavery for debts and malnutrition. In addition, the use of FADs (fish aggregating devices) contributes to excessive fishing and marine pollution.
Carrefour can and must change
Carrefour is the seventh distributor in the world, with a turnover of 92 billion euros in 2023 and a presence in over 40 countries. Bloom and Foodwatch claim that the company would have the strength to impose the most rigorous standards for suppliers, as already shown in other contexts. For example, in 2024 Carrefour withdrawn the pepsico products for price increases deemed unacceptable and forced 550 suppliers to exhibit the nourishment.
However, when it comes to environmental and social responsibilities, the brand seems to adopt elusive strategies. Bloom denounces the use of vague declarations, lack of transparency, alliances with questionable producers and the implementation of ineffective measures.
The legal battle against Carrefour could open the way to a greater responsibility for multinationals in the food sector. The Court could in fact impose binding measures to ensure the safety of consumers and respect for human rights in the tuna chain.
For Bloom and Foodwatch, this cause does not therefore only concern Carrefour, but the entire large -scale distribution sector. The hope is that the legal action pushes the giants of the market to adopt more ethical and transparent practices, putting an end to decades of inaction and exploitation hidden behind the canned tuna labels.
