What on earth is a Qualivore?

Qualivores in Toulouse

I had started to write a post about how amazing it is to live somewhere where local food is so abundant (maybe I’ll dust that off sometime in the future) when I saw this article in the local paper about qualivores in Toulouse.  Apparently, the phrase “qualivore” was coined in the Fateful Fork by Eve Gabriel to describe someone who seeks out high quality foods. I’m not entirely sure if that’s where this local paper got the term from, or if it means something slightly different in France, but the overall idea is the same.  Eat quality food, and in this case, locally grown high-quality food.

Food quality is a big deal here in France.  People tend to care a bit more about what they eat in general, and know more about where their food comes from, and what goes into it than the average consumer in the other places I’ve lived!  They even have a label, the Label Rouge (red label), which denotes high quality products to consumers.  Not that these products are eco-friendly, low-fat, low-calorie, etc. etc., but just that they are high quality.  So, what kind of criteria do they use to decide if something is high enough quality for a label like this?  All Label Rouge items undergo both internal and external checks to ensure that all necessary procedures are being followed for food safety and health, and that the products are not being adulterated (read: horse meat added to “beef” dishes).  In addition, these labels usually go to businesses which produce foods in the traditional way, or in a particular geographical region which is associated with these foods.  I’ll post separately on geographical labels, sometime, because it’s a fascinating area of study unto itself!

Back to the original point, however – the Regional Institute for Food Quality in the Midi-Pyrénées (IRQUALIM) has announced their support for qualivores in the wake of the food safety scandals rocking Europe.  They’ve even set up a website (www.qualivore-midipyrenees.com) for those who are interested in learning more, and compiled a list of 120 regionally produced products which have the Label Rouge or Geographical Indication status, along with helpful menu guides and tips for planning your next pique-nique.

I’m hoping that this means locally produced food will get even more of a boost here, and that being a ‘qualivore’ will become even easier!