On 1 April 2015, the EU regulation 1337/2013, on the origin of the meat, comes into application. It is the first of the thirty-five implementing acts provided for by the so-called 'Food Information Regulation'. Starting today, most of the meats must report their origin on the label. Let's see what it's about.
To which meats the new label applies
The origin is mandatory for pork, sheep, goat and poultry meat. Horses, rabbits and hare are missing, perhaps due to the forgetfulness of the European legislator. Beef meat is in turn subject to the mandatory indication of origin - with specification of the countries of birth, breeding and slaughter - already since the now distant year 2000, in the aftermath of the pan-European scandal of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, note also as 'mad cow'. Reg. CE 1760, 1825/2000).
The meats subject to the new obligation are only those sold as they are - whether fresh, frozen or deep-frozen - even if cut or minced. On the other hand, meat-based preparations are excluded, which may in turn contain fresh meat but with the addition of other ingredients (eg flavorings and spices, breadcrumbs, cheeses or cured meats). Also excluded are processed meats, such as bresaola, various hams and cold cuts, cotechini and zamponi, etc.
From 'Bred in ...' to 'Origin Italy'
The label must show the two words 'Raised in… (name of the Member State or third country)' and 'Slaughtered in… (name of the Member State or third country)'. On the other hand, it is possible to insert the term 'Origin… (Member State or third country)' only in the case in which the animal was born, raised and slaughtered in a single national territory. In practice, only when we read 'Origine Italia' on the label will we be sure that they are Italian animals, raised and slaughtered in our country.
'Raised in…', how and when? There is no doubt about the countries of birth and slaughter, they are and remain. As regards the breeding phase, on the other hand, the legislator has defined the following criteria for 'attribution of nationality':
- pigs are understood to be bred in a specific country when they have spent the last four months of life there (if slaughtered over six months of age), or when they have reached a certain development (from 30kg upwards, for animals killed before six months weighing more than 80kg), or the whole farm (for pigs slaughtered within six months of life and weighing 80kg),
- sheep and goats are understood to be reared in a specific country when they have spent the last six months of life there (or their whole life, if taken to the slaughterhouse before the age of six months),
- poultry is understood to be bred in the country where it spent the last month (if raised for over a month), or at least where it was fattened (if slaughtered before one month of life).
A clarification is missing
However, a fundamental step remains to be clarified, namely the application of the new rules to meat sold in bulk and pre-wrapped. The EC regulation 1760/2000, in introducing the mandatory origin on beef, had clarified that the information must also be provided on the places of sale, for meat sold in bulk, or on the label, on pre-wrapped meat for sale. direct. But the EU regulation 1337/2013 is not as clear. A clarification by the competent Ministries (Economic Development, Agriculture, Health) is therefore useful, for the best protection of Italian consumers. Which, however, we remember, still are pending the fateful 'sanctions decree'.
(Dario Dongo)
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
