Consumers to be informed over origin of beef

CONSUMERS should soon be able to know the origin of the beef they eat in restaurants and shops, the Minister for Agriculture said yesterday.

Joe Walsh said he was hopeful proposals to label the country of origin would be accepted by the European Commission.

EU beef labelling regulations currently apply to meat sold in shops but not to restaurants and other food service outlets.

“It is my view that 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 that they can make an informed choice as to what they eat,” said Mr Walsh, at the Food and Drink EXPO in Birmingham.

The European Commission (EC) is due to present its report on beef labelling shortly to the Council of EU Agricultural Ministers. Mr Walsh is the president of the council until June, when Ireland’s six month EU presidency ends, and he said he would ensure the EC’s report would be dealt with quickly.

The introduction of an EU country of origin regulation would require the name and address of the beef producer or packager being prominently displayed.

Although consumer confidence in beef has recovered since the BSE scares of the mid-1990s, there is still a strong demand for food traceability.

Last month, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association supported the call for country of origin labelling on food in all establishments, including restaurants, in the wake of concerns over the safety of Thai chicken.

The Food Labelling Group, which reported to Mr Walsh in 2002, said consumers should be provided with maximum information, including the origin of meat, the meat content of processed foods and the presence of any potential allergen in foods.

Last January, the Government introduced legislation that required unprocessed poultry meat from outside the EU to be labelled with its country of origin if sold loose. This was already a requirement for pre-packaged poultry products.