Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
13:59 Jul 1, 2011
French to English translations [Non-PRO] Food & Dairy / produits minceur
French term or phrase:100% végétal
dans le contexte de potage (100% végétal), savon végétal,
comment traduire végétal ?
There may be official guidelines for the use of these terms in labelling. There are certainly regulations about saying that ingredients are organic, natural, high in fibre etc.
According to Collins Dico:
"any of various herbaceous plants having parts that are used as food ....". Collins also notes the following "Rare any member of the plant kingdom" (i.e. including non-edible plants). Plant-based could include e.g. wood shavings and one really wouldn't want that in one's soup! Note that it is not an accepted definition to say that a vegetable is the "edible part of a plant" because some of those edible parts are classified as fruit and some may be edible, but nobody would want to eat them.
What about 'plant-based' since a vegetable is the edible part of a plant, so plants also include vegetables ?
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
8 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
100% vegan
Explanation: While I would go along with Tony's answer for the soap, it does not seem right for food. Vegetarian also won't do, as that can include eggs and dairy produce, which is why French distinguishes between végétalien (vegan) and végétarien (vegetarian).
B D Finch France Local time: 13:28 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 16
4 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +2
100% vegetable origin
Explanation: Always a little tricky, since if you say just "100% vegetable", it can sound as if you have a load of carrots only...!
That's why I usually add 'orgin', which then makes it unambiguous.
Of course, incidentally, it probably is 100% vegetable soup — but that's different, and a special case!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 56 minutes (2011-07-01 14:55:39 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
It does depend, of course, on what it is intended for; this solution would be fine for a rather formal list of ingredients, but might not suit a pack slogan, for example.
As Barbara has highlighted, and as I said above, the problem is that FR has two words (végétal' and 'legume') to differentiate, whereas we don't. The 'rare' use of 'vegetable' to mean 'any member of the plant kingdom' isn't actually all THAT rare, given that we talk about 'vegetable oil' and of course the famous GB L/E show "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral".
As I said, I think adding 'origin' avoids the problem, but possibly raises the register.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 heure (2011-07-01 14:59:57 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
It's really all about the difference between the countable noun 'a vegetable' and the adjective 'vegetable' (oil, fat, etc.)
Tony M France Local time: 13:28 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 131
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
