Contact:
newsfox desk
Phone: + 43 1 81140 319
E-Mail: editor@newsfox.com
| Pressbox | 
|
Brussels (pte024/27.06.2003/17:17) - Starting on 1 July, the EU http://www.europa.eu.int will be enforcing its new guidelines for the labelling of meat products, as the transition period which started in January runs out.
The new guidelines provide a more specific definition of "meat" and how the contents of meat products should be described. While they officially went into effect on 1 January 2003, producers have had six months to make the transition by 1 July.
Any products labelled before 1 July under the old system may still be sold in stores, but the member states now have the right to enforce the guidelines and introduce sanctions for products labelled after the deadline.
Among the important changes is the definition of "meat". Under the new regulation, only muscles attached to the animal's bones will qualify as meat; fat and innards must be labelled as such. Producers must also clearly state whether the meat is pork, beef or lamb.
David Byrne, EU health and consumer protection commissioner, has announced he also plans to submit a special proposal for more detailed labelling of poultry products. Recently several cases were documented in Great Britain and Ireland, in which processed poultry products were inaccurately described. "Chicken filets" were discovered to have traces of pork and beef proteins, as well as other ingredients.
(end)
|
|
