Origin of food must be made clear
He said he expected the European Commission's report on implementation of EU beef labelling regulations to be presented shortly to the EU Farm Council.
Mr Walsh, who is the council's current president, said he had been in contact with the EU Commission. He had asked that the requirement to indicate the country of origin be extended to the catering and food sector. Since the introduction of EU beef labelling regulations in 2000, the issue of providing information on the origin of beef served in restaurants and catering establishments has come to the fore in Ireland.
At present, EU beef labelling regulations apply at retail level but they do not apply to the food service sector.
The minister said consumers should be made aware at the time of purchase of the origin of the meat they are being offered, whether in restaurants or in retail establishments so they can make an informed choice as to what they eat.
This view was supported by the recommendations of the Food Labelling Group, which reported to him in December, 2002, and the more recent findings of consumer research on labelling.
Mr Walsh said he had made these findings available to the Commission and asked that they be taken into account in its review of the beef labelling regulations. He said he had recently introduced legislation to ensure consumers buying non-prepacked poultry meat are made aware of the country of origin at the point of sale.
