There are labels on many French products to give them an air of authenticity. Would you really know the difference between an IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) and an AOP (Appelation d’origine Protégée) and a Label Rouge? Apparently, there are nine varieties of dried peas and lentils that each bears one of these labels. But what do these labels mean in practice? They mean that the product comes from a region where they were historically grown and must be grown to certain standards. However, they are not organic. Be careful with the label that says, ‘Voted the best product of 2019’. Manufacturers send their sample to a private marketing business who compares it with a few other similar products and gives a certificate to their customer for a fee.