Source:   John Strak, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 4/21/11

The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who sit on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee decided this week that food labels should contain much more information.

They want the mandatory nutritional information to include information on artificial trans-fats and, crucially for the meat industry, on the country of provenance and method of slaughter. The committee’s press statement declared that the MEPs had amended draft EU legislation to ensure that labels are legible, do not mislead, and provide the information that consumers need to make choices.

The draft legislation, voted at the second reading by the committee, aims to modernize, simplify and clarify food labelling within the EU. It would change existing rules on information that is compulsory on all labels, such as name, list of ingredients, "best before" or "use by" dates, specific conditions of use, and add a requirement to list key nutritional information.

MEPs also want to require an indication of the "date of first freezing" for frozen unprocessed meat, poultry and fish.
The origin of certain foods, such as beef, honey, olive oil and fresh fruit and vegetables, is already required on EU food labels.  At Parliament's request, the Council of Ministers has agreed to extend this to swine, sheep, goat and poultry meat.

Now, however, MEPs wish to go further, by indicating the "place or country of provenance” for all meat and poultry, milk and dairy products and other single-ingredient products. They also voted for a requirement to state the country of provenance for meat, poultry and fish when used as an ingredient in processed food.

Furthermore, meat labels should indicate where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered, said the MEPs. In addition, meat from slaughter without stunning (in accordance with certain religious traditions), should be labelled as such and meat consisting of combined meat parts must be labelled "formed meat".  

The committee approved these amendments on a 57-4 vote, with one abstention. The rapporteur Renate Sommer will need to discuss these changes with the Council ahead of Parliament's plenary vote in July.

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