EU introduces labels on origin of meat other than beef

(BRUSSELS) - The EU will on Wednesday introduce labels showing the origins of pre-packed meat other than beef, but critics had sought even tougher rules in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.

The new rules for fresh, chilled and frozen meat from sheep, goats, pigs and poultry require listing for EU consumers the countries where the animals were raised and slaughtered, said the European Commission, the executive of the 28-nation bloc.

These rules, which also apply to meat from non-EU countries, are less strict than those for beef that have existed since 2002 and require also listing where the cows were born.

The commission said that a rule requiring informing consumers of the birthplace of animals other than cattle would be disproportionately costly and burdensome.

"In practice, the volume of individual cattle movements is significantly higher than with pigs, poultry, sheep and goats," it said.

And as is the case for beef, processed meats like cured hams and meat pies are not required to show the origins of the product.

The limits on labelling have fuelled criticism from Members of Parliament and consumers who want steps to build confidence after the horse meat scandal.

The scandal started in January 2013, when beefburgers sold in several British and Irish supermarket chains were found to contain horse meat, before spreading to more than a dozen other countries.

Thousands of DNA tests on European beef products showed more than 4.5 percent were tainted with horse meat after cases across Europe sparked consumer outrage and forced companies into costly product recalls.

Pauline Constant, representing the bureau that defends the rights of European consumers, the BEUC, told AFP that the new rules were "a step forward."

But she added: "There is no reason that greater traceability should not apply to processed meat."

The European parliament in February adopted a resolution calling on the Brussels executive to make progress on such a reform that was opposed by agribusiness.

The principle for the new labels was agreed in 2011 but the member states struggled to finalise it. The new rules were finally adopted in 2013 for introduction on April 1, 2015.

A net exporter, the EU produces 45 million tonnes of meat every year, including 23 million tonnes of pork, 13.4 million tonnes of poultry, 7.7 million tonnes of beef as well as 900,000 tonnes of sheep and goatmeat.