The origin of the raw materials on the labels of food products is one of the problems still unresolved for protesting farmers, breeders and shepherds, European and Italian fishermen. And the issue must be addressed at European Union level.
The policies of Coldiretti, its governments and MEPs continue to favor the interests of multinationals over the rights of family and peasant agriculture, as well as those of consumers. An in-depth look. #CleanSpades.
1) Origin of beef, the shortcomings of Regulations (EC) 1760, 1825/00
Fresh, frozen and deep-frozen beef is subject to mandatory indication of origin, to be displayed on the label and in the sales premises (for products sold loose). Regulations (EC) 1760, 1825 prescribed in this respect that:
– it's mandatory to specify the countries of birth, breeding and slaughter of the cattle from which the meat comes, and yet
– the indication of origin is not required on meat-based preparations (e.g. burgers made with the simple addition of vegetable fibres, salt, spices)
– the origin of the meat used in meat products remains unknown (e.g. bresaola, carne salada)
– consumers have no right to know the origin of meat served in restaurants and canteens. As requested in vain, in Italy, by the Consorzio Italia Zootecnia and GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). (1,2).
2) Origin of pork, sheep, goat and poultry meat. Omissions in Regulation (EU) 1337/13
Regulation (EU) 1337/13, in application of Food Information Regulation (EU) 1169/11, introduced the obligation to indicate the origin on the labels of pork, sheep, goat and poultry meat. Again, however, Coldiretti's lobbies protected the interests of multinationals. That's how:
–the origin label is limited to prescribing the two wordings 'Raised in ... (name of Member State or third country)' and 'Slaughtered in … (name of Member State or third country)'. By omitting the indication of the country of birth of the animals
– information on the origin of the meat is excluded on pre-packaging, meat-based preparations (extremely widespread in the poultry sector) and meat-based products (delicatessen). (3,4)
3) Origin of raw materials on the label of food products, the non-reform of Regulation (EU) 1169/11
The European Commission, as delegated by the European legislator, had published three reports in 2015 on the possibility of introducing mandatory origin and provenance labelling on:
– meat used in the preparation of other products (e.g. hams and cured meats, lasagne, ragù, etc.)
– unprocessed foods, single-ingredient products, ingredients that represent more than 50% of a foodstuff
– milk, whether sold as such or as an ingredient in dairy products, as well as on certain meats (horse, rabbit and game) 'forgotten' by Reg. (EU) 1337/13. (5,6)
Relations of Brussels:
– reported the interest of European consumers in knowing the origin and provenance of agricultural raw materials used in food products, and yet
– assumed that such information would entail 'higher costs' (for multinational industries), to infer that
– consumers would not have been willing to face the 'higher prices'.
The European Parliament even failed to pass a (dutiful) resolution asking the Commission to carry out a serious impact assessment in support of its (unfounded) arguments. (7) And the origin of raw materials on food labels remained a dead letter. (8)
4) Origin Planet Earth, Regulation (EU) 2018/775
'Planet Earth origin' is the most appropriate name to describe Regulation (EU) 2018/775, by which the European Commission provided that:
– the provenance and/or origin of the primary (>50%) and significant ingredients (i.e. characteristic of the products, e.g. hazelnuts in the relevant creams) – where different from the country of origin (where the product underwent its last substantial transformation)
– may be indicated on the label with the most grotesque level of approximation.
'EU', 'non-EU', 'EU and non-EU'. That is, in the latter case, that the agricultural raw materials come from Planet Earth instead of Mars or the Moon
– is not compulsory in the case of PGI products (e.g. Ariccia porchetta) and TSG products however
GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) has denounced the excess of power exercised by the Commission, which has misrepresented the objectives of the delegation conferred on it by Food Information Regulation (EU) 1169/11. But neither Coldiretti, nor 'its' ministers and 'its' MEPs have followed up on our complaint. (9)
5) Eat ORIGINAL! Unmask your food. Coldiretti's fiasco and lies
Roberto Moncalvo, then millionaire president of Coldiretti, had launched a brilliant European Citizens' Initiative, Eat ORIGINAL! Unmask your food. The writer celebrated the value of this initiative, also on this site. (10) Trusting that Coldiretti - with its 1,6 million (only) declared members, (11) - would be able to collect the million signatures needed to force the European Commission to take charge of the referendum initiative and make a reasoned decision on it.
Coldiretti However, he lied publicly in claiming to have collected 1,1 million signatures in support of the Initiative Eat ORIGINAL! Unmask your food. (12) As verified by the European Commission, which has therefore updated the information on the relevant webpage, the initiative registered by Coldiretti on 2 December 2018 was aborted on 18 January 22 after it was verified that it lacked the required signatures. (13) We contacted Coldiretti to ask for explanations, but received no response.
6) Fruit origin in juices and jams, preserved milk
The pseudo-reform of the 'Breakfast Directives' affected four product categories: honey; fruit juices and nectars; fruit jams, jellies and marmalades and chestnut cream; some types of preserved milk, partially or totally dehydrated.
Nothing new has been introduced regarding the indication on the label of the origin of the fruit used in juices and jams, nor of the origin of the milk used in preserved milk, as GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) has already denounced. (14)
7) PGI and TSG, no origin on the label
The latest joke concerns the reform of the protection regime for quality systems linked to traditions and territories, the so-called Geographical Indications (GIs). Behind the proclamations of 'enhanced protection' - which remains, however, limited to the borders of the internal market, subject to reciprocal and partial recognition with certain third countries - the Europarliament and the Council of Member States have not even dared to question the main issue.
Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) and Traditional Geographical Specialties (TSG) are still exempt from any obligation to indicate the origin of the raw materials on the label. (15)
Thus the Brazilian giant JBS continues to market zebu meat from Latin America as 'bresaola della Valtellina IGP' under its Italian brand Rigamonti. One wonders what interests Paolo De Castro, rapporteur in the European Parliament of the proposed regulation under consideration and president of Coldiretti's 'Filiera Italia' in which, among others, the JBS group participates through its Salumificio Rigamonti.
8) Is another Europe possible?
Another Europe is possible, provided that family and peasant agriculture - which still expresses 94,8% of European farms (Eurostat, 2020) - finds adequate representation in a European confederation other than Farm Europe and Copa-Cogeca, Coldiretti in Italy, which are responsible for the troubles listed above, and many others.
A hope can be seen in the 'institutionalisation' of the European Coordination of La Via Campesina, which for thirty years has been waging a battle around the world to affirm the fundamental human rights of farmers. The #equal price and social justice, but also food and land sovereignty, biodiversity, the right to use their own seeds
#Égalité
Dario Dongo
Footnotes
(1) Dario Dongo. Meat origin in the restaurant, the proposed decree-law of the Consorzio Italia Zootecnica. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 26.5.17
(2) Dario Dongo. Origin of all meats at the restaurant, the French lesson. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 25.11.19
(3) Dario Dongo. Origin of the meat, from 1 April on the label. And yet something is missing. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 1.4.15
(4) Dario Dongo. Meat preparations, how to choose? We talk about it at UnoMattina. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 8.3.17
(5) Dario Dongo. EUROPE - Origin of raw materials, the Commission proposes to maintain the 'status quo'. FARE (Food and Agriculture Requirements). 12.4.15
(6) Dario Dongo. Origin of milk, horse meat and game. FARE (Food and Agriculture Requirements). 12.4.15
(7) Dario Dongo. Origin labeling, the debate between the Commission and the European Parliament continues. FARE (Food and Agriculture Requirements). 24.3.16
(8) Dario Dongo. Origin labeling, not a priority for the European Commission. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade).
(9) Dario Dongo. Origin of primary ingredient, reg. EU 2018/775. Call for action. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 30.5.18
(10) Dario Dongo. EatORIGINal! Transparency on origin and not only on the label is underway. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 14.10.19
(11) Dario Dongo. Coldiretti, many partners and some doubts. #Clean shovels. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 15.4.21
(12) Stop fake foods, collected 1,1 million signatures in Europe. Coldiretti Verona https://coldirettiverona.it/stop-cibo-falso/
(13) Eat ORIGINAL! Unmask your food. European Citizens Initiative ECI(2018)000006. European Commission https://tinyurl.com/33asfajb
(14) Dario Dongo. 'Breakfast Directives'. Unknown origin on jams, juices and milk. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 24.2.24
(15) Dario Dongo, Alessandra Mei. EU Geographical Indications and quality schemes, new rules coming soon for PDO, PGI, TSG. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 4.6.23
(16) Dario Dongo. Rights of the peasants, UN Declaration. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 23.11.18
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
